Summoned and Sold

Torn from her world and enslaved by magic, Vela’s life is shattered in the name of greed. Born of a fae race of shifters, her exotic beauty and unique powers have damned her to a life of slavery. But as a true Feral, she will never allow anyone to enslave her spirit or claim her soul.

Torin is the Prince of Stryx, forced to watch as his father’s madness pushes the kingdom closer to the brink of destruction.  Strong and true, Torin’s flaw keeps him from being the leader he is meant to be. Upon learning of his father’s plans to breed Vela’s fae abilities into the family bloodline, Torin agrees to marry her rather than subject her to the cruel perversions of his father’s bed. 

Worlds collide under the king’s dark reign, but when Torin sets eyes on his bride, her beauty and courage ignite his passions. He knows that he will do anything to keep her at his side and in his bed, but how can Vela ever learn to love a man she is forced to call her master?

Length: 20, 648 words

Summoned and Sold

Copyright © 2013 by Susan Hayes

First E-book Publication: October 2013

Cover design by Sloan Winters

Edited by S.L. Whitcomb

Smashwords Edition

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

DEDICATION

For my friend and series collaborator, Laurie Roma. Thank you for sharing this adventure with me.

And as always, for my parents for believing in me and for my bestest bud Karen for all her support and patience as I ramble about the voices in my head. I couldn’t do this without you.

***

CHAPTER 1

This world was nothing like hers. From the way it smelled to the single sun that warmed it, there was nothing familiar here. She wanted to go home. Back to her world where the trees soared high, the meadows were full of sweet grass, and she was free to run and hunt as she pleased. Vela doubted she’d ever taste those freedoms again.

This new world would be her prison. With it’s strange sky and even stranger weather. Another flurry of what one of the guards had called snow gusted around her, making her huddle deeper into the fur-lined cloak and hood she had been presented with before they had set out on this journey. At the time she hadn’t understood the necessity, but now she was thankful for it. It was one of the few kindnesses that had been granted to her since she’d been taken.

She caught a glimpse of her fingers as she tugged her hood forward, surprised to see her normally golden skin had gone pale. Perhaps if she stayed out in the cold long enough her complexion would turn as white as the snow, or as pale as the woman who escorted her.

“The sooner we get there, the sooner you’ll be warm again. Not much farther now.” It might have been her imagination, but Vela thought her escort’s voice was gentler than it had been. The silver haired woman who seemed to be tasked with delivering her to her new home hadn’t spoken since they had stepped through the strange, shimmering portal. The magic had made Vela’s skin itch and tingle, but at least it hadn’t burned.

When he had used his magic to tear her out of her world and into this one, it had been agonizing. She didn’t know the name of the dark mage who had trapped her with magic and teleported her across the planes, but she would never forget his dark, dead eyes. One day, she would learn all there was about him, and then she would stop him from ruining other lives the way he had destroyed her own.

“Mistress, will you tell me more about where we are going?” Vela’s words sounded strange to her own ears. She understood every word, but it was no language she had ever heard before her arrival here. Magic, they had told her when she’d asked. The same magic that had taken her, enslaved her, and bound her to the will of whoever wore the ring that currently sat on her escort’s delicate hand. Mistress. Every time Vela had to utter the word it left a bitter taste on her tongue. She was a guardian of her people, and called no one but her elders by such honorable titles.  That was, until she became a slave.

Resentment surged through her, and for half a heartbeat she imagined shifting to her feline form so she could sever the woman’s hand at the wrist and free herself. She was larger than Vela by a fair margin, but Vela’s feline form would be more than a match for her.

The thought had barely formed when a searing pain exploded behind her eyes and ripped down her spine, making her stumble. Her long, dark, hair tumbled out of the hood, hiding her face from view just long enough for her to school her features back to impassive obedience.

She had forgotten the first lesson of her new life. The one who wore the ring was protected by it. Even the thought of attacking would trigger terrible punishment.

Vela’s escort glanced over, her expression as blank as the fresh snow that lay all around them. “This land is called Stryx.”

“A harsh name for a harsh place. Is it always so cold here?”

“I have not been here before, but most places are only cold in the winter. Come the spring, perhaps you will find it more to your liking. You would do well to strive and please your master so that he has reason to keep you warm and well fed. Then you will not have to worry so much about the cold.” The woman’s eyes softened and for a moment Vela thought she saw sympathy flash in their strange, quicksilver depths, but it was gone before she could be sure.

“And who is my master to be?” she asked, wanting to know the name of the stranger who would soon control her life.

“This land is ruled by King Terrance. He is the one who paid your summoning price, and it is to him that you will be delivered.”

“He had me summoned? He caused this?” she asked with a barely controlled snarl of rage, her hands tugging at the collar fastened around her throat.

“Aye,” her escort said, her voice flat and cold.

“What does he want with me?”

This time there was no missing the sympathetic look, however fleeting. “What all men of power seem to want…more power. Your children will have your abilities, as will their children. He intends you to be the mother of a dynasty. His dynasty.”

Vela’s inner cat howled in defiance as she heard what her fate was to be. Snarls rang out inside her skull as her wild side fought at the magic that held it in check, to no avail. She had already tried to break free, exhausting herself more than once in the days since her capture. The magic had proven unbreakable. She would have to find another way.

The snow lessened again, and her escort turned away from her to point upward. “At the top of this hill you’ll find warmth, and your future. There’s no sense in postponing what is already destined to happen.”

The guards around them nodded, and surged forward, eager to get out of weather and for a moment Vela was alone with her escort. Enigmatic silver eyes bored into hers as her acute hearing caught the faintest of whispers. “I’m sorry, sister.”

The words were stolen away by the frozen wind, making Vela doubt if she had heard the woman right. A moment later her nameless escort turned her back on Vela to begin trudging up the hill.

Compelled by the ring and the matching collar that was fastened around her neck, Vela had no choice but to follow.

Once they were inside, Vela found herself yearning to be outdoors again. At least there the air was fresh and smelled of natural things. Within the walls of the castle her sensitive nose was overwhelmed by a hundred odors. Unwashed bodies, dank stone, stale food and over it all, the acrid scent of fear. It was everywhere, clinging to the very walls of this place.

They were met by a chamberlain with a dour face and bitter scent who treated them with disinterest until her escort whispered something she couldn’t hear. After that, the man was the height of efficiency. Their guards were sent to join the other men-at-arms in the barracks, while a servant was tasked with escorting the two women deeper into the castle so they could meet with the king. The corridors were dark and narrow. What few lamps lit their way smoked and flickered, adding their own sickly smell to the miasma of unhappiness that filled the air.

Vela hated it.

The servant they were following kept glancing back, clearly curious as to who they were, and why they had been granted an immediate audience with the king. The third time he did it Vela managed to shift forms just a little, flashing slightly elongated fangs and golden eyes at him.

He blinked, quailed, and spun around on his heel with a faint squeak of fright. She was pleased at his response, but even more pleased to learn that she could work around the edges of her magical restraints. Deep in the shadowy part of her mind, her cat purred in agreement.

“Vela, behave.”

Those two words were heavy with warning, and she knew she had pushed as far as she dared, at least for now. She bowed her head into a semblance of obedience, reining in her resentment and hiding it beneath a thin veneer of docile silence until they reached a pair of heavy, iron-bound doors.

Uniformed guards stood sentinel, moving crisply aside and drawing open the doors once the servant made it clear that his Highness was expecting them. Vela felt their eyes on her as she passed between them. Eyes that were cruel, calculating, and belonged to men of easy violence. She knew then there would be no easy escape from this place. Not with men like that standing between her and freedom.

Beyond the doors she found herself in a large hall. Banners and tapestries lined the walls, but their colors were dulled by age and neglect. Courtiers bunched together and spoke in hushed tones, their eyes scanning everywhere as they talked. At the far end of the hall a massive chair of polished wood stood upon a raised dais. In the chair sat an old man, as aged and moldering as the rest of the castle he ruled. This had to be Terrance, the man who was the source of her misery.

She barely bit back the snarl that rose in her throat, but she quelled it before magic or man could detect her slip. Only the two large, brindle hounds that flanked the king heard her lapse, and both of them rose to growl at her as her escort led her up to the throne.

“You are the agent I was told to expect?” he asked in a querulous tone as he waved off the hounds, who settled back down with a whine.

“I am, Your Highness.” The nameless woman dropped a simple curtsey before turning back to gesture toward Vela. “This is Vela. She is the one you asked for.”

Vela stood as still as the stones in the walls, her face hidden within the shadows of the hood she had yet to draw back.

“Can it speak?” the king asked.

“She understands us perfectly, Highness. She will not speak until she is permitted to, however.”

“Excellent! She knows her place. I want to see her.” He glanced around the hall and frowned before adding, “In private.”

Those near enough to hear him immediately began to move back, and within minutes the hall was nearly empty, save for the king and the two of them. Even the guards had moved back, though Vela could still see them lurking in the shadows. They had their hands near the hilts of their swords, and their hard eyes were fixed on her.

“Now, show me what my gold has bought.” The king leaned forward, the tip of his tongue wetting his pale lips.

“Vela, remove your hood.” The words carried a tone of command that she couldn’t resist, and she removed her hood to reveal herself for the first time.

She heard the king’s breath hiss between his teeth as he stared at her, the tip of his tongue sliding over his lips yet again. Vela couldn’t repress the chill that washed over her as his gaze roamed over her still cloaked body.

“Show me the rest.”

“Vela, disrobe.” Her mistress’s command was irresistible, but she fought it anyway. Among her people nudity was not taboo. The weather was warm, and clothing was of no use to someone who changed forms several times a day. That did not mean she wished for this man to see her naked body. She could smell his interest in her, a cloying musk that clogged her nose and made her skin crawl.

Her fingers worked at unfamiliar clasps and fastenings even as she struggled against the compulsion to comply, but as the pain began to build she accepted there was no point in fighting. The magic that bound her was too strong. She let her cloak fall away, and with unshed tears in her eyes, she skinned the simple gown she had been given over her head and let it fall where it may. Lastly, she toed off her shoes and kicked them aside to stand in at the base of the dais. Her hands balled into fists at her sides as she stood in rigid silence, refusing to be cowed by what was happening to her.

“She is exquisite,” he murmured, nodding slowly as he took in her soft curves, golden skin, and dark hair that fell to her waist in a single, shimmering wave. His gaze lingered for a long time on the full rise of her breasts, and she could see his lust intensify the longer he looked.

“Interesting eye color. I have never seen amber eyes before. She really is quite stunning, if smaller than I expected. To think such a little thing could house such power. It’s hard to believe. You may tell your master that I am well pleased. So long as she has all the attributes I requested.” He cocked a hoary brow in question. “She is what I asked for? All of it?”

“She is exactly as specified, Highness. From her coloring to her lack of sexual experience. She is young enough to bear many children, and completely healthy. She was acquired from one of the more distant of the fae worlds, and is gifted with the ability to transform at will into a most impressive feline.”

“A true Feral. A legend come to life. I want to see it,” he demanded. “Then I will take possession of this lovely creature, and your master will receive all that he was promised for her delivery.”

“Vela, you will do as his Highness requests.”

For a brief moment Vela considered reminding them that the hounds were not likely to respond well to her transformation, but then she decided that was their lesson to learn. Her cat was so close to the surface that the change was over in seconds, her wild half exploding to the fore in a howl of fury at being constrained so long.

She became another creature. A being of dark grace, fur, and fang. The damned collar that bound her morphed in size and shape as she changed, dashing her small hope that she would escape it once she was allowed to alter form. She shook her head, irritated by the way it pressed against her throat, mocking her hopes of freedom.

She was larger in her feral feline form. Far larger than the two foolish canines that launched from either side of the throne and came at her in a frenzy of barking and snarls. With lazy grace she tore out their throats with two swipes of her claws, letting their bodies fall at her feet. She sat back and glared at the man who had destroyed her life, daring him to take offense at what had happened.

Perhaps the old man would order her killed for what she’d done, or send her back to the one who had captured her. It would be better than staying here and sharing his bed. She could smell his vicious nature as clearly as the blood that was pooling in front of her. He was the source of the decay that was eating away at this place, this man who put himself above all others while his actions caused his subjects to live in perpetual fear.

Whatever came next, Vela had already made her choice. She would not live like that, cowering in terror. She braced herself for rancor, punishment or even death, but instead the old man laughed and clapped his bony hands in front of him.

“She is exactly what I had hoped for. We’ll have her prepared for a wedding ceremony at sunset.”

***

CHAPTER 2

The door to Torin’s chambers flew open and his father stormed in, his bellowed words bouncing off the walls. “Torin! Gods be damned boy, when I issue you a summons I expect you to obey it. And how many times must I remind you that you’re the prince of Stryx, not a stable hand?”

Torin didn’t bother responding to his father’s tirade. There wasn’t a point. The king never listened to anyone but himself anyway. Instead, Torin continued washing away the last evidence of the birthing he had just been part of. One of his favorite broodmares had suffered a difficult delivery, and he’d been out in the barn for hours, helping to see her through it. Now dam and foal were recovering, and he had a fine new stallion to add to his growing stable.

He had hoped to clean up and have a moment’s peace in the one part of the castle that he had claimed as his private sanctuary, but apparently that wasn’t to be. He finished washing and snagged the towel he had laid out off the corner of his bed, deliberately making the king wait while he finished. Whatever it was that had brought him into Torin’s rooms, it could wait another minute.

As Torin dried himself off he caught sight of his reflection in the bedroom mirror and winced. He had to admit, at the moment he looked more the part of a stable hand than normal. He had yet to shave today, and his dark hair had grown long enough to begin curling at the ends, making it impossible to keep tidy for long.

He had his mother’s gray eyes, but the rest of his features favored his paternal lineage, right down to the cleft chin he knew his father hid beneath his beard. Torin was considered handsome certainly, at least until those who met him learned of his other flaws. Then they invariably shook their heads and muttered about it being such a shame, or a waste of a good looking man.

“Torin! Did you not listen to my summons? She’s here. Your wife. I’ve found her.”

That got his attention.

“No!” he snapped out the single word with enough vehemence that his father took a step back, surprised to hear him speak. “I-I will f-f-find my own wife.”

“Not when you stammer like a halfwit, you won’t.” His father curled his lip in disgust. “I can barely look at you, and I’m kin! What woman is going to want a man who can’t say her name, never mind carry on a conversation? No, I’ve found you a woman and that’s the end of it. There will be no discussion. Not that you and I could have one without it taking f-f-forever.” He deliberately imitated Torin’s stutter.

“Who is she?” Torin managed to get through that simple sentence without stuttering. Which was a miracle considering that it got worse when he was angry or upset, and right now he was both.

“Who is she? Your future queen, that’s who she is. Since no woman in her right mind would agree to marry you voluntarily, I found one who has no right to refuse you.” His father raised his left hand, calling attention to a gold ring with a tiger’s eye gem set dead center. “She’s a summoned creature, Torin. Enslaved and ensorcelled. You are clear evidence that the family bloodline has been weakened, so I have found you a bride that will rectify matters.”

Torin felt sick to his stomach. Slavery in the realms was outlawed, but only when it came to enslaving their own citizens. The poor souls that were torn from their worlds to be bartered in this one had no such protection.

There were few magi powerful enough perform the kind of magic such a summoning required. The price that must have been paid might well beggar the kingdom for years to come. His father had done all this just to force him to marry some poor creature who was not even human.

“Wh-what is she?”

“A Feral. Feline. Quite beautiful. Your children will be shapeshifters.” Terrance narrowed his gaze into an expression Torin had learned to fear. “Or my children will be. I’m tempted to take her for myself. Best you bed her quickly, boy, before I change my mind. She’s untouched, and I will expect proof that her maidenhead is breached by morning light.”

“Sire,” Torin uttered the single syllable and bowed his head. He knew that if he argued further, the girl would suffer for his actions. He had no doubt she had suffered enough already.

“You are to be married at sunset.” Terrence flicked his fingers at Torin’s stained and dirty clothing. “You may wish to change first.”

Once he was certain he was alone again, Torin slammed his fist down on his bureau, ratting the washing bowl and giving vent to a small portion of his fury.

“Fuck!” He’d been aware that his father’s madness and cruelty grew worse with every passing day. How could he not when the evidence was all around him? The palace, nay, the entire kingdom was sliding into ruin, and he was powerless to stop it.

Nearly all the court followed his father’s lead and treated him like a halfwit. They believed that his stutter was a symptom of some deeper problem, and his father had done nothing to dispel that assumption.

Torin was a master of the blade and the bow. He had a head for strategy, and an understanding of all that would be required of him as king. He had proven himself capable in every way he could think of, and still they whispered and mocked him when they thought he wasn’t within earshot.

He was the prince of a realm hurtling into the abyss, and he had yet to find a way to stop the madness. No, that wasn’t entirely true. He knew of one way, but if he took that path he would never wear the crown. The law of the land was very clear.

Those who committed the ultimate betrayal and took the life of a king could never claim the throne. Torin was the last of his line, so if he did not wear the crown, the kingdom would be torn apart by infighting and eventually conquered by some of their more aggressive neighbors.

There had to be another way. He just hadn’t found it yet.

Torin rang for a servant and requested a bath be drawn as he started looking through his clothing for something suitable to wear to his wedding. He couldn’t save the kingdom, but at least he could save the unfortunate woman from his father’s bed. For tonight, that would have to be enough.

* * * *

Vela had re-dressed as her escort and her new master had spoken in hushed tones, far enough away she could not make out the words. There was no doubting that she was the topic of conversation, for the king’s gaze fell on her time and again as they conducted their business. She had borne silent witness to her sale, watching with a sour stomach as her escort had removed the ring from her hand and presented it to Terrance. His eyes had glittered with malice as he placed the ring on his hand and gave her a soul-sickening smile.

After that, she had found herself the focus of a great deal of unwanted attention. An entire party of servants had been assigned to tend to Vela, and they had taken their new duties very seriously. They had led her to a small suite of rooms and proceeded to scrub, polish, comb and cluck over her until she finally lost her temper and let loose with a full throated growl that sent nearly half of them running from the room.

The others were more careful after that, asking permission before touching her instead of pushing her about like a wayward child. She may be a magically bound slave, but if this was to be her new home then she was going to strive for every measure of respect she could get. Considering how timid and terrified they all seemed to be, Vela didn’t think that would be a particularly difficult task.

By the time they left her in peace, she was at least warm and well dressed. Slippers with a fur lining that tickled her feet had been provided, along with a dress the color of summer berries. The fabric was strange to her, but it felt soft and kept her warm, and thus was accepted gratefully. They had wanted to plait her hair, but she had warned them off with another low growl, and they had simply brushed it and left it to hang loose.

The only decoration she wore was the gold torc that encircled her throat, the ends inset with the same tiger’s eye stones that decorated the ring it was forged with. It was a silent, ever present reminder that she was a prisoner. One day she would find a way to get the cursed thing off of her, and then she would kill the one who put it there.

Her claws lengthened and her teeth elongated for a brief moment as she imagined the satisfaction of tearing into the man who had torn her from her home, causing her pain and humiliation before finally selling her into the bed of a vicious old man.

The servants had refused to answer any of her questions about the king, but the mere mention of his name had filled the air with the acrid stink of their fear. Worse than the fear, though, was their pity. She could see it in their eyes as they helped prepare her for her mating ceremony, or as they called it, a wedding.

They would pity her more if they knew that so long as he wore the ring that bound her, she would be forced to do anything he asked. The thought made her stomach roil and clench. Whatever was in store for her tonight, she had no illusions that she might enjoy it.

The nameless woman who had brought her here had departed when the servants came for Vela, with not another word spoken between them. As she had been led away, Vela had seen one more flash of regret in the strange woman’s eyes. Part of her wished that her escort had stayed for the ceremony. The one she called mistress had been the only person to show her any kindness, no matter how small. It would have been comforting for her to have been there. A double rap at the door informed her that the time had come, and she rose to face her fate alone.

The four men sent to fetch her remained completely silent for the entire walk. They glanced down at her often though, and she couldn’t help but notice that they too, had pity in their eyes. In some cases it was tempered by lustful leers, but there was no doubting that they all felt sorry for her. If she ever found a way to break the spells that controlled her, she would see to it that no one would ever look at her that way again.

Vela had always expected that her mating day would be a time of celebration. She’d be escorted to her chosen mate by friends and family who would dance and sing to celebrate the joyful occasion. Now that it was here, her expectations had turned to ashes and dust.

Vela reached up to idly touch the torc around her neck and swore that one day she would be free again. When that day came, she would find a way back to her world and reclaim all the joys that should have been hers. She shifted the tip of one finger just enough to form a claw and nicked the pad of her thumb. She smeared the droplet of blood onto one of the stones, sealing her vow just as they arrived at the doors to the great hall where she had killed those hounds only a few hours before.

It seemed appropriate that she would begin this next chapter of her life standing on a floor stained with blood she had drawn. That thought put a small smile on her face as the doors opened, and she faced the same courtiers and nobles as before, along with many others she didn’t recognize.

One of those strange faces belonged to a man standing at the foot of the dais. He was facing her, and as she looked at him she felt her stomach twist and her breath catch in her throat. He was beautiful. She kept her gaze on him as she walked slowly toward the throne, ignoring everyone else.

The men she knew all kept their hair long, but as she looked at his shorter curls she had the strangest desire to run her hands through his hair. His eyes were pale, either gray or blue, she couldn’t tell from this distance despite the fact they were fixed firmly on her. Not on her body, but her face, squarely meeting her gaze. There was no pity in his expression, or fear either. If she had to guess, she’d say he looked…concerned.

Concern? For her? It couldn’t be.

He was a large man, and despite the heavy fabrics he wore she could see that he had a warrior’s build, though on a scale not often seen where she was from. Men of her race were lithe, sleek and dark, just like their panther half. This man was more bear than cat.

Powerful, but slow, she decided.

But who was he? The old man’s champion perhaps? Did the king feel the need for added protection when he was in her presence? Her cat purred inside her mind at that idea.

As she neared the dais she expected the king to step down from his throne to join her for the ceremony, but he never moved. Instead, another stranger stepped in front of her and the warrior moved to her side, flashing her an almost imperceptible smile.

What was happening? Vela didn’t understand and her confusion must have shown, because the handsome stranger took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

That was when she noticed that he was wearing the ring. The ring that enslaved her and bound her to the will of the one who wore it. Which meant that he was her master. Whoever he was, she now belonged to him, and that meant that the king was no longer protected by the magic…

She had already started to change, her mind full of thoughts of bloody revenge, when the warrior at her side stopped her with a single word.

“Nay.”

Her cat screamed in frustrated fury inside her skull. She had to bite back a groan of pain as the transformation halted then reversed itself, leaving her panting and off-balance. The pain receded slowly, and before she could recover her new master drew her up against his side, steadying her so that she could regain her feet.

Gods, she is beautiful.

That was the first thought to form in Torin’s brain when he’d gotten his first look at his bride. When her eyes had locked on his, he’d felt a jolt of desire so powerful he’d been rooted to the spot. She had walked up to meet him with a grace and confidence that belied the situation she was in. This was a woman of beauty and courage, and Torin was saddened to think at what she’d suffered to appease his father’s madness.

It had all been going fine until he had moved to her side. Then her brow had furrowed in confusion as she looked from his father to him, and it dawned on him that no one had even told her to whom she was to wed. He’d taken her hand, hoping to offer her what comfort he could, and then she’d seen it. The moment her gaze had fallen on the ring his father had given to him just before they had entered the hall, his beautiful bride had changed.

Torin had seen the murderous rage in her eyes and the way her face had contorted into a mask of hatred. He’d stopped her from slaughtering his father with a single word, then watched as the magic had forced her to revert to human form. Regret filled him as he realized the first word he had ever uttered to his bride was a command, and his first act as her husband had been to cause her pain.

He gathered her to his side, wanting to make amends for what he’d done. When he looked down, he found her staring up at him in surprise. She had not been expecting him to be kind to her. Why should she expect kindness from him? He had no doubts her life had been difficult since she’d been stolen away from her home. It was his fault she was here at all, and he swore that he would not let any more harm or sadness come to her. Not if he could do anything to prevent it. 

Vela didn’t know what to make of her new master. She was surprised at his consideration and confused by his kindness. She looked up and found herself staring into a pair of eyes the color of a storm-tossed sea. More surprising still, there was regret showing in their depths. He was sorry? For what? For hurting her? For stopping her from seeking her revenge? Nothing was making any sense to her at the moment.

She yanked her hand free of his and wriggled out of his hold, not wanting to seem too grateful or weak. He was still the enemy, whoever he was.

The third man cleared his throat, and she tore herself away from her master’s gaze to look at him. He wore a holy symbol of some kind, and as he read from a small book she realized he was the one officiating the ceremony. She was going to be mated to the man beside her, and she didn’t even know his name. Still, better a nameless stranger with kind eyes than the cruel creature who sat and watched from his vantage point on the throne just a few feet away.

It was a brief ceremony. Only once was she required to speak as the holy man paused to ask her if she consented to give herself to Torin, Prince of Stryx. She considered remaining silent, but then the first warning prickles of pain began behind her eyes and she murmured a quiet assent.

So this was the king’s son?  She lifted her head to look at him again. Now she could see the resemblance to his father in the structure of his face, though he was far more handsome than his sire. She watched his mouth as he spoke a single word of consent, and in a moment of weakness wondered what it would be like to kiss those full lips, or to have them taste her skin.

Her idle thought was answered as subdued cheers and applause rose up around them and her new master leaned down to feather a brief kiss across her mouth before straightening and offering up another minute smile.

Vela was stunned. He kissed her! No one had ever dared to take what he had. She growled softly and he glanced down at her again, surprised by her vocalization. She expected him to be angry, to punish her. At the very least she expected him to scowl and order her to be silent. Instead he lifted a finger and laid it gently across her lips as he shook his head.

That was all.

This man was confusing her with his actions. No decent man would do what he was doing, taking a woman against her will. Yet he seemed determined to be gentle with her. As foolish as it was, she silently prayed to the distant gods of her home world that the son would be at least a little more bearable than the father.

Torin had been tempted to take more than that small kiss. His new bride’s mouth was ripe and lush, and in that brief instant their lips had touched a sizzling hint of heat had passed between them. He wanted to feel that heat again, to taste her and learn every subtle secret of her body.

He hadn’t expected to desire the woman his father had bought for him, but there was no denying that he did. Staring down at her lovely face, he wondered if that made him just as bad as his sire. Gods, he hoped not.

He had noticed her surprise after their lips had touched, and held back a smile as she growled at him, her ire sparked by his actions. Witnessing her spirit gladdened his heart and filled him with a sense of pride. He vowed he would do his best to see that spirit remained unbroken as long as she was under his protection.

***

CHAPTER 3

After the ceremony Torin and his bride were hurried along to another massive hall, giving him no time to speak to her or share more than a brief smile. They arrived to more polite applause by a crush of guests that Torin knew where here to appease their liege and their own curiosity about Vela.

He escorted his new bride to the head table, walking past a number of trestles laden with an impromptu feast and enough wine to ensure each and every one of them would be well into their cups before dawn.

Once she was seated, he took his place beside her, wishing that he could have just a few minutes to speak with her alone. Instead, they sat together at a lavish celebration in their honor, neither of them saying a word. Torin yearned to tell her that he had no intention of forcing her. That he hadn’t known what his father had done until it was too late. Gods, he wanted to tell her how sorry he was for everything that had been done to her, but the moment he opened his mouth he knew his words would come out in a stammered tangle. They needed privacy for this conversation, and he was certain his father was doing his best to make sure they didn’t get it.

Vela sat in impassive silence, eating only a few bites of her meal and toying with the rest. She really had no appetite. Even the scent of roasted meats and fresh baked bread couldn’t quite hide the potent stench of the rot in the rushes or the tang of fear that poisoned the very air she breathed.

She watched her new master as much as she could, trying to learn whatever she could from his actions, but it was hard to judge him. He rarely spoke, and when he did it was only a single, clipped word. He was handsome, and yet no other woman gazed at him with admiration, and she received not a single jealous look from the bevy of lovely women present among the guests. Given his position, wealth and appearance, she didn’t understand why none of the women were distressed by his sudden marriage.

There was something else going on here. She just had yet to figure out what it was.

Torin glanced down at the diminutive woman at his side and marveled at the simple fact that she existed. A Feral. A creature of magic and incredible power, wrapped up in a package so lovely that his cock had been eager and aching since the moment he’d first laid eyes on her. Not even the fact that she would have slaughtered his father in a heartbeat diminished his interest in her, though it did remind him that she was as dangerous as she was beautiful.

He was going to have to be careful. She had no reason to trust him, and judging by her impassive pose beside him, barely touching food or drink, she was completely disinterested in everything around her. Including him.

Not much longer now, and then he could excuse them from the feast and finally get her alone. He was just trying to make their excuses when it happened. His father stood up and cleared his throat, a malicious smile on his face.

“Today, my son has taken a wife. A rare beauty who will no doubt give him many strong children in their years together. It is tradition when a prince marries that he formally introduces his bride to the court as his future queen. And so I give you his Highness, Prince Torin.”

Torin’s throat constricted, and he had to force himself to breathe. This was nothing more than another of his father’s petty tortures. As if this day had not been unsettling enough already, the man had to remind everyone present that he thought his own son was a stammering fool.

As he took his feet the true extent of his father’s cruelty struck him. There was one person present who didn’t know about his stutter. His bride. Damn his father to the dark gods. Torin’s anger threatened to choke him, and his vision turned red around the edges as he fought to keep his temper. This was not how he wanted Vela to learn just what sort of man she’d been forced to marry.

“I am puh-puh-pleased to pre-present my wife. P-puh-princess Vela. M-my fut-t-ture queen.”

He turned to look down at Vela, expecting to see pity or worse, laughter in her amber eyes. He was stunned to find her watching him with nothing but respect showing on her lovely face.

Vela could not believe what she was seeing. Before she knew what she was going to do she was on her feet, facing the rest of the guests. Her anger was a tangible thing as she stared at them until the last of the snickers and mocking laughter died away to silence.

“I am a stranger to your land and customs. Where I am from, it would be considered the height of dishonor to laugh at one’s future ruler. Such behavior might even be considered a challenge to that ruler’s authority. It is good that things are different here.”

Her petal-soft lips curled back into a snarl, revealing her wickedly sharp teeth. To add to the affect she allowed her eyes to change so that they flared to a glowing gold. She let her distain for them show in every facet of her being as she watched and waited for each and every one of them to break eye contact. “Since the rules are different here, I will choose not be offended. This time.” Only when she was done speaking did she revert to fully human form.

She had made her point.

One moment Torin was looking at a fae warrior, and two heartbeats later she was once again simply a beautiful woman, smiling demurely at the gawking courtiers.

Torin watched in bemusement as his bride retook her seat, and then he followed suit. What the hell had just happened? Had she actually threatened an entire roomful of his father’s subjects because they laughed at him? Had she defended him? The man who, as far as she knew, intended to subjugate her? Now he really needed to get her alone, away from everyone. He needed to know why she’d done it.

His father did not share his admiration for Vela’s actions. His next words were harsh, sharp and hissed just loud enough for Torin to hear them. There was venom infused into every syllable. “Control your wife, boy, or I will. Remember, you have until sun up.”

“Aye, Sire.” Torin knew Vela had heard the exchange. He could see by the tension in her jaw and the defiant gleam in her eyes that she was preparing to be punished. It stung him to know she thought him capable of that, but she didn’t know him. Not yet, anyway.

Torin placed a hand on her arm, feeling the way her muscles tensed and quivered beneath his fingers. “Come,” he ordered her, putting just enough force into the word to appease his father.

As he rose from the table, so did she and he was struck again at how tiny she was. The top of her head came no higher than his chest, and he already know her entire hand fitted into his fist with ease. He found himself feeling protective of her, which was ridiculous considering she could quite easily tear him apart in her other form and likely would have already done so if she wasn’t enslaved by the ring and its matching collar. He had just witnessed a small measure of her strength, and he had no doubt she was a match for any warrior in the kingdom. Including him.

Torin kept his hand on her arm, escorting her out of the hall at a brisk pace, all the while maintaining a dour expression for the sake of those who were watching. The moment they were out of sight, he stopped in the middle of the hallway and glanced down to find her glowering up at him, defiance and pride etched into every line of her face.

“I will n-n-not hurt you,” he vowed. “Come, puh-please?”

A glimmer of hope appeared, softening the hard lines around her mouth and eyes. Then she reached up and tapped a forefinger to the collar around her throat. “You do not have to ask me to do anything, master. I am compelled to obey. Remember? So long as this is around my throat, I must obey whomever wears that bauble on your hand.” Her words were full of pain and resentment.

He released her arm and held out his hand to her, palm up, fingers open in an invitation to take it. “Only f-f-for now,” he told her, and he meant it. He had no idea how to go about breaking the spells that enslaved her, but he would find a way. First he had to get her to trust him, and that wasn’t going to be easy. Not when he needed to bed her before daybreak, lest his father decide to take her for himself.

Vela found herself staring up into his storm gray eyes, the two of them alone in the dimly lit hallway, wondering why she’d risen to his defense. It wasn’t until her cat purred slightly that she started to understand. It hadn’t just been her who had stood up to defend him. It had been her cat as well. The damned thing liked him.

Traitorous beast.

Still, she couldn’t blame her cat for all of it. Listening to Torin speak had reminded her of another who had struggled to find acceptance. Her little sister, Elsy. Elsy had been crippled by a fever that robbed her of the use of one leg. She had worked hard to overcome her deficiency, but the other children had been constantly cruel.

The way Torin’s own father had humiliated him and the others who had openly mocked him had infuriated Vela. She had always rushed to her sister’s defense when the other children had teased and bullied Elsy about her twisted leg, and tonight she had done the same. Out of instinct, maybe, or a misguided hope that he would be grateful? She really didn’t know. All she knew for sure was that both she and her cat found Torin attractive, despite his stutter. She inhaled softly and caught a whiff of musk that she had missed before. It was a delicate blend of pheromones and pure male, clearly telegraphing his desire for her.

Her cat responded with a rumbling purr as a surge of lust swept over her, making her hands itch with the need to touch him. Her breasts felt heavy and her skin tingled, craving his touch. She had to shake her head firmly to clear away the sudden fog of lust that clouded her thinking. Now was no time to be distracted, she reminded both sides of her psyche. They needed to break free and escape this place!

She snapped back to the present and was startled to find he was still staring down at her with his hand out as he waited for her answer. She actually felt her cheeks heat slightly as she ducked her head and placed her hand in his. She could only pray that he would keep his promise not to harm her. Trust would come later, but for now, she had nothing to lose.

After all, she was already his slave.

“Thank you,” he murmured and folded her hand into his with care before leading her at a more sedate pace through the maze-like corridors. As they continued walking, she noted that the scent of mildew and rot slowly faded, leaving the air clean and sweet. The lamps in this part of the castle burned brighter, banishing the shadows that seemed to cling to the walls elsewhere. Wherever they were, it was clearly one of the few places being properly cared for.

It didn’t take long for them to reach their destination, a large door marked with an ornate crest of some kind. She had seen the same one in the great hall below, so she assumed it was the mark of Torin’s family.

He pushed it open and entered, drawing her along behind him. Only once she was inside did he turn and close the door, locking it firmly to bar anyone else entry. It should have worried her that he had locked them in, but somehow it didn’t.

She snarled in annoyance as it dawned on her that her feline half was trying to influence her, calming her, and taking the edge off of her wits. She needed that edge! Her cat might have decided Torin was an ally, but she was far from convinced.

He caught her frustrated growl and cocked his head in question, but she just shook her head and waved her hand in negation. There was no way she was going to explain this to him. It would only weaken her in his eyes. Instead, she deliberately turned from him to look around the room, trying to gain some insight into the man who held her life in his hands.

These were definitely his rooms. His scent was everywhere, intermingled with the odor of beeswax, parchment, and a dozen other things she couldn’t quite identify. The room they stood in held several chairs, a heavy hardwood desk that was half buried under map, and letters written in a confident hand. She went closer to read them but the script was like nothing she had seen before. It would seem the magic had its limits. She could hear and speak the language of her owner, but it could not translate the written word.

She continued exploring, circling past the desk and the hearth with its cheery fire, only to stop when she found herself facing an archway that led into Torin’s bedchamber. A large bed piled high with furs and blankets enough to keep away the worst of the cold took up most of the space. This then, was where she would likely be made to sleep tonight.

With him.

Torin moved somewhere behind her and she spun on her heel, painfully aware she had turned her back on a potential enemy. What was wrong with her? She had been one of her village’s best hunters, but now she was acting like a clueless cub.

Torin was watching her, two cups in his hands. He offered her one and she took it gingerly, lifting it to her nose. Water. She drank it eagerly. She had barely sipped her wine at dinner out of concern that it would dull her reflexes, and now she was thirsty.

“Would you like s-something more to eat?” He offered.

“No, thank you.” She gestured toward two chairs near the fireplace. “I would rather sit and hear from you what happens now.”

He sighed and ran a hand over his face, not quite managing to hide the look of frustration that twisted his lips. “I w-w-will try.”

Vela gave him a small smile and moved toward the smaller of the two chairs, but she only got a single step before finding himself in his arms. He moved so quickly she barely had time to raise her hands before they landed squarely on his broad chest.

So much for my big, but slow theory.

She expected him to maul her, but instead he simply held her, his gray eyes gleaming intently as he watched her face.

“No,” she said, pushing at his chest.

“Please,” he whispered. “Trust me not to hurt you.”

“Why? Why should I trust you?” She was arguing with him before it registered he was no longer stuttering.

Torin bowed his head so that he breathed his next words right next to her ear. “I am not my father, little beauty. I do not want what he wants.” She couldn’t stop the shivers that skittered across her skin as his breath caressed her ear.

“What do you want of me, master?” She used the word deliberately, reminding both of them of their relationship.

“More than I thought I would when my father told me what he had done,” Torin said, still whispering. “I had intended to find a way to free you and send you home…”

“And now?” The scent of his desire was clouding her mind, making it hard to think. Her body and her cat were both betraying her, responding to his touch as though he were her mate and not her master. Her breasts felt achy, and there was a slow throbbing between her legs that made her want to press her thighs together and squirm.

“Now I’m hoping after we free you, you’ll consider staying. And before you protest, I know that makes no sense at all. It’s still what I want.”

He definitely wasn’t making sense. And how was it that he suddenly sounded so articulate? “Why would you free me? And why are you whispering?”

Torin dipped his head so that his lips brushed her hair, inhaling her spicy scent as he enjoyed the sensual torment of having her in his arms. “I do not stutter when I whisper. It’s strange, but if you will let me keep holding you, it will be easier for us to converse. As for why I want to free you, I told you, I am not my father. This…” He ran a finger along the torc that encircled her slender neck. “This is wrong. If I can set it right, I will.”

Vela used every one of her senses to try and judge the truth of his words, and all of them confirmed that he was speaking the truth. His heart beat steadily, his scent remained the same, he didn’t tense or shift as he spoke.

Her mind was still clouded with desire, but she knew that wasn’t the only reason she believed him. “Then, I will trust you,” she said. “For now.”

After all, what choice did she have?

***

CHAPTER 4

“Will you sit with me?” Torin asked, relieved she was going to give him a chance to explain. When she nodded he gathered her into his arms and carried her with him to his favorite chair. He wanted to keep touching her, to have her nestled close. Her skin smelled faintly of spice and her hair was like warm silk wherever it brushed his bare skin.

There was no denying the affect she had on him, but they had things they needed to discuss before he told her about his father’s deadline.

Torin sat down, settling her soft body into his lap and ignoring the way she stiffened at the intimate contact. He kept his arms around her, loose enough she could move, but he didn’t want to let her go. It felt good to have her in his arms. Better than it should considering they had only just met, but his body didn’t care about such niceties.

He craved her, and that feeling was only going to get stronger the longer he had to wait for her consent to consummate their marriage. He would wait though. Unlike his father, he had never hurt a woman, or forced himself on one who didn’t desire him in return.

He was careful to keep his voice to a whisper as he nuzzled her ear. “Tell me about yourself, little beauty.”

“My name is Vela, and I am from another place. The one who made the ring you wear and placed this thing around my neck tore me from my home and my people. He made me a slave.” She shifted herself into a more comfortable position and raised her gaze to meet his, letting him see the challenge gleaming in her golden eyes. “When I agreed to sit with you, this was not what I had in mind, master.”

Torin found himself smiling as he swept back the silken weight of her hair, baring her throat and the collar she wore. “This seemed the most practical means, giving you need to be close to hear me.” He changed the topic before she could argue his logic. “Does it pain you?” Her skin seemed unmarked, but he knew better than to judge an enchanted item’s affect by appearance alone.

“Only if I try to disobey, or if I so much as think of attacking the one who wears the ring.” She tapped his new piece of jewelry. “And that is the only reason you are still drawing breath. No man has dared to be as close to me as you are now.”

“Even if you were free, I would dare to try and get this close to you. You are breathtaking.” He watched in fascination as her lip curled into snarl.

“If there were no ring, we would never have met,” she said.

There was so much anger and pain in that simple phrase that it hurt his heart to hear it. “I know. But there is nothing we can do about what has already happened. I wish to talk to you about w-what happens next.”

“You truly wish to free me?”

“Aye. I will give you my vow that I will find a way.” An idea flashed through his mind and he acted on it before he could second-guess his actions. With a twist of his fingers he removed the ring and held it out to her. “Until then, when we are alone, you will wear this. When we are alone, you are no one’s slave.”

Vela’s shock at his gesture was so absolute that for a single heartbeat she was unable to move a muscle. Once feeling returned to her limbs she snatched the ring out of his fingers quickly, claiming it before he could change his mind. She curled both hands against her breast, gripping the ring so tightly her fingers shook.

“Why?” she whispered, staring up at him with confusion.

Torin just smiled down at her, his gray eyes full of trust she had not earned. “So many reasons, little beauty. I want you to trust me, so I am giving you my trust. If you are going to kill me, now is your chance.” He deliberately lifted his chin to bare his throat.

She eyed the exposed flesh and knew at that instant he was completely at her mercy. She could kill him and make her escape. For one poignant moment she considered it, but her feline side growled in audible protest, resisting even the thought of ending the life of the one person who might want to help her.

The moment passed and she dismissed the idea. She couldn’t do it. She would not repay his trust with betrayal.

“Thank you for the ring, and for trusting me,” she murmured and tried to blink back tears that formed in her eyes. This was no time to be maudlin or emotional.

“I meant it, Vela. We’ll find a way to free you,” he said and then went still as she tentatively brushed her fingers over his face.

“If I walked away tonight, would you let me go?” she asked, continuing her slow caress. It felt good to connect to another being again. It eased the loneliness Vela had felt since the day she’d been taken. Being this close to him, letting her guard down even a little, was more comforting than she wanted to admit.

Torin was finding it hard to remember to breathe. Even the delicate touch of her fingertips sent fire flowing across his skin. Struggling, he had to fight the temptation to lean down and kiss her. Gods know he wanted to. Instead, he answered her question. “No.”

Her eyes narrowed, her lips thinning as she snatched her hand away from him. “Why not?”

“Let me show you something, little beauty. Then you’ll understand why.”

“Don’t touch me!” she said, her voice deepening to a growl again. “I have the ring. I will kill you if you touch me.”

Torin raised his hands slowly, releasing her. “There’s a map behind my desk. That is what I want to show you, Vela. You have no idea where you are, or what would happen to you if you tried to leave here in the middle of winter. I will not be responsible for your death.”

“Show me,” she ordered.

Torin chuckled as he noted the tone of command in her voice. “As you wish, Highness.”

She half leaped from his lap and landed just out of his reach, her amber eyes narrowed yet again. “Why are you laughing?” she asked.

“Why? Because you sound like a queen already.” He stood, moving slowly so she had time to move away from him without feeling threatened. Torin could sense the tension radiating off her of and knew he needed to find a way to ease it. There was still more he needed to tell her, and she wasn’t going to like most of it.

Vela gripped the ring tightly and shook her head. “I’m not a queen.”

“You could be one day. If you d-d-decide to stay.”

She snorted in derision and shook her head. “Why would I do that?”

He didn’t have an answer for that one, so he simply shrugged and said, “A man can hope. Come on, I’ll show you the map. Then you’ll see why l-l-leaving right now isn’t p-possible.”

“You’re stuttering again,” she said quietly.

He lowered his voice back to a whisper and tried to calm himself down. So much was riding on getting her to understand that he’d allowed himself to feel pressured. “That happens when I stop whispering.”

“Or when you’re feeling stressed?” she asked, her voice still very soft.

“Aye.”

He walked around his desk and swept his hand over the center of the map, encompassing a largish section of it. “This is Stryx.” She moved up beside him, her eyes on the map.

“So where are we?”

“Here.” Torin kept his voice to a steady whisper as he touched the icon that marked the capital and then tapped his finger to the left and right of it, drawing her attention to mountain ranges that flanked both sides. “The passes are closed this time of year. There would be only one way you could go. South. And there is only one road that leads out of the city. You’d be caught, or you’d freeze to death out there.”

Vela’s heart sank. “So, I am a prisoner still. Stuck with a mate I do not know, in a world that’s not my own” She didn’t bother trying to hide the resignation in her voice.

“That is one way to look at it.” Torin murmured, his eyes never leaving her face.

“What other way would you interpret my fate?”

He touched her hand, the one still gripping the ring. Vela could hear his heart race as he reached up to brush his fingertips over her cheek before making a surprising confession. “This is an imp-p-perfect place and I am a most imp-perfect man, but b-both man and place n-need you, Vela.”

“Why?” she asked, confounded by the emotions his words had sent coursing through her. “What can I do?”

Torin slapped the map with one large hand, squarely covering his father’s lands. “You are the only one who has ever…You s-s-stood up for me. I hoped you would st-st-stand up for my people.” His fingers curled into a fist, and the muscles of his jaw bunched as he fought to get the words out.

“Whisper it,” she said, surprising herself and him. “We have all night to talk about this, yes?”

“Not all night.” His voice dropped to a whisper again and he lowered his hand from the map to turn and look down at her. “My father has given me until morning to consummate our marriage. If we don’t…then he has threatened to take you for himself. I’m sorry, little beauty. Fate has not been kind to you.” He touched her cheek again and then stroked his hand over her hair. “I promise I will try and make this up to you, somehow. If you will allow it.”

Her mind raced and her mouth went dry as his words sunk in. “I could still go. In my other form I am stronger, faster…”

“Come to the window.” He took a step away from her and then reached back his hand to her. “Please.”

She refused his hand, but followed him, doing her best to ignore the growls of protest from her inner cat. She was already feeling too much for the man who had just told her he had to mate with her by morning. Every time they touched it confused her more. He was a stranger, and she a prisoner. So why did she have all these feelings for him?

He kept his back to her as he moved over to the heavy drapes and unlatched the shutters that sealed the window. The moment they opened a frigid wind blew into the room, making her shiver. Ice crystals shimmered in the light, coating her gown and hair with fast-melting diamonds. He moved away in silence, leaving her to stare out the window at a world beyond her imagining.

The snow had stopped falling, leaving the night sky bright with stars and a pair of moons, both little more than silver slivers carved from the darkness. The city slept below them, and beyond the city walls were the mountains Torin had spoken of. They were impossible, mind-boggling towers of rock that soared out of sight into the night sky.

The mountains of her world were soft, rounded rises, nothing like these stark and jagged monoliths. She wouldn’t be able to see them at all, save for the fact they were coated in more of the ice and snow that filled this place. That covering gleamed even in the pale moonlight, letting her see the truth of her situation. She could not survive out there. Not alone.

Her fingers curled into the cold stone of the window sill and she leaned out to see more of this strange, cold land. Snow covered everything, as though the entire place had been painted in the colors of moonlight and darkness. She stared until she could no longer feel her fingertips and her teeth began to chatter, startling her with the noise.

“You’re freezing,” Torin said and drew her back from the window at last. The room was much cooler now, and she wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to get warm. Her teeth chattered again and she shivered harder.

“Didn’t realize how cold I was getting.”

“You’re not used to our weather, that’s for certain,” Torin murmured then drew her into his arms, wrapping himself around her. She was about to protest but then the warmth of his body seeped into her cold limbs and she snuggled into him instead of pulling away.

“Hang onto me, I’m bringing you to the fire,” he whispered as he lifted her into his arms. He carried her as easily as he would a child, and she wondered again at his strength and size. When they were standing right next to the hearth he set her down again, careful to let her have a moment to regain her footing before stepping away. “You stay there, I’ll fetch some blankets. I swear your lips are turning blue, you’re so cold.”

Blue? She touched her lip and tugged it out in an attempt to see for herself.

“What are you doing?” Torin asked as he returned, smiling at her antics.

“I am blue?” she asked, perplexed by his words.

“It’s a figure of speech, little beauty. You are not blue. You are golden and perfect. Just cold.”

He knelt near the hearth to deposit an armload of blankets and furs on the floor, fixing her a comfortable nest. When he was done he straightened and started to hold out his hand to her, but then he hesitated. He had asked her to stay and she had still wanted to flee. He couldn’t blame her for that, but the rejection still stung. “Come, get comfortable.”

He moved back, giving her space as she approached and settled into the middle of the nest he had made for her, accepting the fur he draped over her shoulders without complaint. She seemed warmer and her teeth had stopped clacking together.

“Better.” She turned to smile at him and her lovely face stole his breath away yet again, leaving him silent and staring. “What is it?”

“I don’t know how to h-help you.” He ran a hand through his dark hair, leaving it rumpled. “You don’t want me. I understand that. B-but my father will not be k-kind to you.”

“I never said I didn’t want you.” The words tumbled out of Vela’s mouth without her even being aware of what she was going to say. “This is all…” she waved the hand not holding the ring, at a loss for words.

“I know,” he whispered and then nodded his head toward her hand. “Why don’t you put the ring on. Then at least you’ll know that tonight, you are free.”

“If I stay with you, you will let me have the ring every night?”

“Aye. Until I can free you completely.”

She opened her hand to stare at the golden ring that controlled her life. It seemed smaller, and less threatening now it was in her hand and not someone else’s. “Then I will spend my nights with you,” she declared and placed the ring on her finger.

The moment she did so, a bolt of power slammed through her body and she heard a terrible cracking sound that filled the inside of her skull. Scarlet and yellow dancing lights filled her vision, momentarily dazzling her. A strange, acrid tang filled her nose, only to dissipate with her next breath.

When the sensations faded she glanced down at her hands, but nothing seemed to have changed. Apart from a slightly trembling that could have been caused by her chills, she was totally fine. But she knew that something had happened. She just had no idea what.

“Do you feel better now?” Torin asked and pointed to the ring. “Now that it’s on your hand?”

“Aye,” she said. Whatever had just happened, she wasn’t going to share it with Torin. He had been kind and caring so far, but that didn’t mean she was ready to trust him. Not completely. She needed time to determine exactly what had happened to her, and what it meant.

He moved in, his expression coming hauntingly close to that of her kind when they were engaged in a hunt. Belatedly she realized that he was hunting, and she was the prey. He was stalking her now, coming ever nearer and her heart hammered a little faster at the hunger in his storm-gray eyes.

“I want you, Vela.” His words were a husky whisper, spoken in a slow cadence that matched his movements. “But I want you of your own free will, or at least as much as this situation allows. Give me your body and I will worship you. If one day you give me your affection too, then I will be a very happy man.”

“Promise me you will never hurt me.”

“Never, little beauty.” He raised his hand as he made his vow, placing it over his heart. “I will protect you with my dying breath.”

“Then…I am willing.” She lifted a hand to reach for him and he hauled her into his arms with dizzying speed.

“You’re mine,” he said then his mouth crashed down on hers, stopping her from saying anything more.

***

CHAPTER 5

Torin’s hands were everywhere. Caressing, touching, and tearing away the layers of blankets and furs that he’d only just wrapped around her to help her warm up. Not that Vela needed warming now. It was though his touch had kindled a wildfire deep in her heart, and with every new contact her blood heated another degree.

Vela had been courted before, but none of her admirers had made her feel anything like this. As he tore away her gown, the gooseflesh that rippled over her skin had nothing to do with the cold. She felt feverish and needy. She was craving something she didn’t understand, but knew he could give to her.

He kept kissing her, his tongue sliding across the seam of her lips until she parted them. With an approving groan he plundered her mouth, tongues tangling, lips locked together.

The gentle man she had met at their mating ceremony had transformed into a creature of passion and power, taking what he wanted with confidence. There was a warrior’s heart beating beneath the quiet façade he hid behind, and his strength called to her as strongly as his handsome features.

Her cat purred in agreement, summoning her claws so that she could part the soft fabric of his shirt. She wanted to see him, all of him. Her blood sizzled, and her skin felt like it had been set ablaze as she laid her hands on his bare skin for the first time.

So this is the mating fire my mother told me about.

Torin’s chest rumbled with his amusement as he broke their kiss to look down at the tattered remains of what had been his shirt. “I could have taken that off.”

“And I could have removed my gown,” she said and gestured to the ragged edges of what had once been her neckline. “I was only following your example.”

“I see,” he said, giving her a sheepish half-smile. “I am rushing you. I’m s-sorry.”

“Why?” Vela didn’t understand his sudden apology. “You desire me, and I find I desire you as well. Why should we go slowly?”

The heat in his eyes conflicted with his next words. “You are a virgin. I should be going slowly. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Hurt me?” She blinked at him. “I am a Huntress of the Vartan clan and a blooded Guardian. I do not fear pain. Besides, the discomfort of a first mating is next to nothing. Even I know that much.”

“But you are little compared to me.”

“And we both know I am more than I appear to be,” she reminded him and lifted one hand, summoning her claws for an instant and then willing them away again. “Do not judge me by the standards of your women, Torin.”

His only response was to laugh and kiss her again as he finished tearing away her gown. His hands cupped her breasts, his calloused thumbs brushing over her nipples, teasing them into tight nubs.

She found herself arching into his hands, wanting more. The mating fire flared back to life with a roar and she let it consume her. It was easier to give herself over to pleasure and forget, at least for a little while.

Torin coaxed her closer, urging her to lie back until she was naked and stretched out beneath him. As he drank in the perfection of her body for the first time he whispered, “You are glorious, little beauty. No woman of my race could hold a candle to you.”

“I wish to see you now,” she said, brushing her hand over the broad expanse of his chest. That simple touch nearly broke his will and he struggled to maintain control. He would not rush this, no matter how fearless his bride proved herself to be.

Vela apparently took his restraint as a challenge, and in response she slipped her hand lower, deliberately cupping the thick ridge of his cock through the fabric of his pants.

“Gods! You do know how to get your point across!” His words were half whisper, half hiss.

She gave him a satisfied smile and he gave in to her request, lying back as his big hands fumbling with the laces of his pants. She watched intently as he bared his body to her, her gaze and he took pride in the approval he saw in her expression. He knew his body was well formed and strong, honed by hours of training.

Torin wanted her to feel the same desire for him that he held for her, needed her to crave his touch and cry out his name as he pleasured her. He kicked free of his pants, moving over her, his hands reclaiming her breasts before he was even fully settled between her thighs. “Beautiful,” he whispered, leaning down to take her lips in another heated kiss.

There was so much of him to explore, Vela didn’t know where to start. Chest, shoulders, the flat plain of his stomach, she itched to touch every part of him. The scent of his arousal blended with hers, and each breath made it a little harder for her to focus. Need was the force driving her now. Need for things she had never experienced. Need for him, and the promise of pleasure he was offering.

His kisses grew more demanding and his touch grew rougher. Fingertips rolled and teased at her tender nipples until she was nearly shaking with pent up desire. She ran her hands down the curve of his shoulder to his chest, finally giving in to the need to touch him. His skin was warm, and dusted with a pleasing amount of hair. Curious, she ran her hands through it and was surprised at the course texture.

Her fingers found his nipples and she mimicked his actions, lightly pinching them until he shuddered, groaning deep in his chest. His hips rocked forward and she felt his cock brush her thigh. She reached for it immediately, wrapping her fingers around his thick length. Her touch elicited another groan, this one wilder and longer than the first.

“You are fearless,” he whispered against her lips and released her breast to trail his fingers down the length of her stomach.

“With you, yes,” she whispered back.

“There will only ever be me. No one is taking you from me. Not even my father.”

His words touched her deeply. “Then make me yours, Torin.”

As much as Torin wanted to claim his bride then and there, he knew she wasn’t ready. Setting aside his own raging need, he forced himself to focus on Vela. He was determined to show her so much pleasure in his bed that she would chose to stay even after he found a way to break the binding spells.

He let his fingers stroke down across her pubic bone, grazing the dark curls that marked the one place he most desired to touch. She mewled softly as he let his touch drift along the tops of her thighs, sending flurries of gooseflesh across golden skin. Gods above, he had never had a woman so responsive to his touch. The closer his hand came to her pussy the faster she panted, and as he brushed against her labia she gripped his dick tighter.

“Like this,” he whispered and released Vela’s breast to place his hand over hers, demonstrating with slow strokes how he liked to be touched. She lessened her grip and followed his lead, and within seconds he was struggling to think about anything apart from her hand on his cock.

He stroked along the seam of her pussy and she moaned softly, parting her legs enough he could not miss the yellow and green marks of partially healed bruises that marred both inner thighs. Rage tore through him as he carefully traced each and every injury. “Who did this to you?”

“He who summoned me…and others.” She lifted her head and he saw the anger blazing in her golden eyes. “They had to confirm I was unmated.”

“No one will ever touch you without your permission again. I swear it.”

She graced him with the first true smile he’d seen from her, and in that moment she captured his heart forever. It took an act of will for him to stop staring at her, and remind himself that he had other, pressing matters still to attend to. Starting with teaching his glorious bride the pleasures of the marriage bed. If he had his way, she’d not be leaving their bed for days on end. If they ever got that far.

So far, he hadn’t gotten her past the floor.

He slid his fingers deeper, groaning as he felt the slick evidence of her need coating his skin. She was already aroused and he hadn’t even touched her yet. He circled her swollen clit, and she cried out in surprise at that light contact. Unable to resist, he began to pleasure her, flicking and caressing the tiny bundle of nerves until her beautiful eyes closed as she moaned.

She continued stroking his dick, but her movements became jerky and uneven as her focus was shattered time and again. After a few pleasurable moments she released him, giving up the attempt completely, and he knew she was close.

Without giving her warning of his intentions, he moved between her legs and pressed his mouth to her pussy. He swiped his tongue across her clit until she stiffened and cried out again. Knowing he had her on the edge, Torin pressed his advantage, pushing until her taste filled his senses, and her cries of pleasure were ringing in his ears.

Only then did he carefully slide a finger inside her tight, heated passage, tumbling her into ecstasy. Vela arched upward, her walls gripping his finger tightly as she came. His cock grew harder than the blade of his sword, and he could think of nothing save how good it would feel to finally sheath himself in her sweet heat.

Vela eyes were still closed, her limbs trembling when he sat up, moving away to brace his back to the wall next to the hearth. He took her hand, drawing her close and guiding her into position above him so that she was straddling his hips. Her hands were on his shoulders and the thick length of his cock pressed right along the seam of her pussy.

Unable to hold still any longer, Torin thrust his hips, pressing their bodies together. He felt her entrance grow slick, allowing his cock to slide into her pussy. She shuddered and opened her eyes to stare into his. “It’s time,” she whispered.

Her words freed him from the last of his concerns and it was all Torin could do not to rush this moment. He wanted to draw her down on the crown of his cock, taking her in one quick thrust. He craved her like he had never craved any other woman, but with the last of his patience he feathered a soft kiss to her lush lips before leaning back.

As he surrendered control to her, Vela’s eyes began to glow with an inhuman light. She rumbled something akin to a purr of pleasure. Torin thought it was the sexiest sound he’d ever heard in his life.

Vela rocked her hips, making him slide just a little deeper into her slick folds. She did it again, and this time her soft moans spurred him to action.

“Need you,” he whispered before moving his hand between them, positioning himself so that her slightest move would merge their bodies.

“Aye.” The single world fell from her lips as she moved, taking him into her body a slow inch at a time. She was so tight around him that his world wavered between bliss and pain, but then he was fully seated inside her, their breath mingled as they groaned together.

He could feel her open to him slowly, her inner muscles easing their grip as her discomfort faded and the fire returned to her glorious eyes. When next she moved, she stole the breath from his lungs. She rolled her hips and began to ride him, slowly at first, but as the fire between them grew so did her speed.

He guided her hips, keeping her steady as she used his body for her pleasure. She was a creature of carnal need and wanton beauty, his to love and protect. Torin knew he would kill anyone who threatened to take this new-found treasure away from him. No man, not even his father, would ever touch what he had now claimed.

“Mine,” he whispered and took her mouth in a bruising kiss. She responded with a growl. He felt the sting of her teeth grazing his lower lip and her claws sank into the flesh of his back. The brief pain blended with the raw pleasure of their joining and he reached between them to pinch her clit, eager to see her come apart in his arms again.

Her cries filled his mouth as she stiffened then shuddered, her body clenching tight as a fist around his already aching cock. She bit him harder as she came and he erupted as the pain and pleasure filled him, pushing him over the edge.

Torin emptied himself into her womb, her pussy walls milking every drop from his cock as she lost herself in a storm of pleasure. This was his woman now, his wife. Fae or human. Slave or princess, he didn’t care anymore.

She was his.

Vela had never felt so content as she did at this moment. Her heartbeat was slowing, her limbs felt heavy, and the mating fire had finally burned itself to embers. Torin’s scent was imbedded in her flesh, while the taste of his blood was on her lips. She hadn’t meant to bite him, but just as her claws had appeared to mark his back, her cat had manifested just enough to sample his blood so she would never forget his taste.

More than that though, she had bitten her own lip, letting their blood mingle. He was her mate now, and if the contented rumblings from her feline half were any indication, leaving here was no longer an option. At least, not without a fight.

She cursed her dual nature as she dropped her head to Torin’s shoulder, her eyes closing. This was not the life she’d expected, or the mate she’d wanted, but apparently her cat had made that choice for both of them.

Eventually she’d have to explain Torin what had just happened, but not now. Besides, he was human. Maybe the mating bond would be different with him. She had never paid attention to the stories about humans mating with her species. They were more legend than fact anyway. Now, she wished she had paid more attention, given she seemed to be stuck with one for a mate.

Torin wrapped his arms around his lover, holding her securely as he carefully shifted his large body away from the wall. Still holding her close, he lowered himself to the floor once more and stretched out beneath her so she was sprawled atop his chest. Vela’s only reaction was to sign in contentment as he drew several of the blankets over them, warding off the chill that still lingered in the room.

“You’ve had a long day, little beauty,” he whispered as he nuzzled her hair. “Sleep for a while. Then we’ll talk.”

“I can sleep later,” she protested and he chuckled before answering her.

“Then rest and be with me. I have never felt as content as I do right now. I am in no rush to let this moment go.”

Vela shifted slightly, and his cock twitched in response. He was still buried deep in her body and had no intention of withdrawing. “I suppose we can rest for a time. If that is your wish.” She touched the ring still on her hand as if reassuring herself it was still there. “We have all night.”

***

CHAPTER 6

In Stryx, dawn was nothing more than a shift from darkness to watery daylight. The dim light only served to illuminate the heavy flurries drifting down from the sky to bury the city ever deeper in snow.

Vela had left the warmth of Torin’s bed to peek out the window, needing to see if the mountains looked as forbidding by the light of day as they had last eve. If anything, they looked more daunting now. What little she could see of them anyway.

“Why would any rational being choose to live here?” she asked as she crawled back into Torin’s arms, already shivering after a few short minutes away from the warmth of his body.

“In the spring this place is beautiful, lush and green. You have seen Stryx in the darkest and coldest season, during one of the darkest times in our history.” They had talked long into the night, and Torin had given her the brief history of this place and his family’s rule. He had also told her of his father’s current dark, violent reign and the strain it placed on his people.

“When you are king, then you will end this darkness? What about those who suffer now?” she asked.

Torin wished he had a better answer for her, but the truth was all he could offer. His time would come. Until then, he would continue to care for this land and its subjects as best he could, without invoking his father’s wrath.

“If I am caught moving against him, my life is forfeit. Not that I can trust anyone who might stand with me. He has made sure that they all think me simple-minded. It doesn’t matter to him that will make my rule more difficult when the times come. It only matters that I am not a threat to him now.”

Torin sighed very softly. “Speaking of my father, you need to give me back the ring now. I swear to you that I will not abuse its power, but there will be servants appearing soon, and we can’t risk them seeing it in your possession. Too many of them report to the king.”

He watched her hesitation and knew there was a battle of wills going on within her heart. This was yet another test for them both and he understood her reluctance. In the end, she twisted the ring off her finger and gave it back to him. He could only take that as a sign that she believed his promise that one day, he would find a way to free her for good.

He slipped the cursed ring onto his finger and kissed her to soften the blow of his next words. “One more thing, little beauty. You are not to attack my father or anyone else, nor change into your feline form. Not unless your very life is threatened. Are we clear?”

“Aye, master.” Vela dropped her head in obedience, but he caught the gleam in her amber eyes and knew that she was simply playing the role fate had assigned her.

“This isn’t going to be forever, I swear. We’ll find a way.” He stroked her cheek. “I would like to see you as a cat. I imagine you are lovely in either form.”

Vela knew there was something different about him this morning, but it took some time for her to register what had changed. When it hit her, she knew instantly that the bonding between them had been more than purely physical.

“You’re not stuttering!” she said and he blinked at her sudden outburst.

“Of course I am. I mean that doesn’t just go away…” He sat bolt upright and began to recite a litany of random words. ‘Horse, cow, sword, rain, snow, spear, wife, sexy, glorious!” He hauled her into his lap and kissed her. “What’s happened? How?”

“I don’t know exactly,” Vela said, hedging as she returned his kiss. That was when she noticed another difference. His eyes were no longer deep gray. Instead they had altered to a startling gold that matched her own, with only a few flecks of silver remaining.

So much for my hoping the mating bond didn’t affect humans.

“I think there’s something we need to discuss before we—”

Her next words were lost in an unholy noise as the inner wall of their bed chamber was thrown open and two men entered the room. They were well armed, and Vela recognized them as being two of the men who guarded the king. Behind them, wearing a smirk that sent a chill down her spine, was Torin’s father.

“Well, I see you managed to get her into the bed at least, boy. When dawn came and the evidence I requested had not appeared I was wondering if you had even bothered to try.”

Torin tucked her behind him and faced his father, a noble but misguided gesture given that the vile man had already seen her naked. She yearned to tear the evil man apart, but she was under orders not to attack. For the moment there was no threat to her, so she resisted the temptation to try and transform despite the pain it would cause her. Vela knew that Terrance’s surprise appearance with a pair of armed men was not likely to be a joyful family moment.

My time will come.

“She’s mine,” Torin growled and Vela could hear the change in his voice, the low rumble of an animal giving warning. Her mate was ready to fight for her, and she hadn’t even had time to warn him that he was now far stronger and more dangerous than he had been just the day before.

With the Feral races, the blending of blood drew a pair closer together. The mating fire would grow stronger, and the two would share a sense of connection that would last the rest of their lives. It didn’t happen with every mating. Even among her own people it was a special gift, a blessing from the gods. It was even rarer when the pair were not of the same species, but it had been known to happen. At least she had heard stories about it.

In those cases, it was not unheard of for the outsider to gain some Feral traits. Which ones, and to what extent…that she didn’t know. Given the changes in her mate, Vela suspected he had taken on more than a few of her abilities.

Terrance’s smug voice dragged her thoughts back to the current confrontation. “No. You are mine. My son, my loyal subject. Now that we have that out of the way, I have come to claim what’s also mine.” Terrance’s gaze fell on Vela, and she felt her stomach roil as she read the lecherous thoughts behind his eyes.

“Mine,” Torin rumbled a second warning as a firestorm of fury built inside him. No one was taking Vela from him. Not now. Not ever.

“I told you if you hadn’t provided proof of her deflowerment by morning that I would take her for myself. You failed to uphold your side of the agreement, and so she is mine.” Terrance waved a hand at the two of them. “Not publicly of course. You and your fae bride will continue to appear as husband and wife, but since you can’t seem to get the job done, I will. I should have thought of this long ago. Your mother’s blood was inferior, which is why I am stuck with you. This way, I will fix the problem for future generations.”

“Nay!” Torin roared. He left the bed and stood between the guards and his mate, uncaring about his nudity or lack of weapons. He’d tear them apart with his bare hands if need be, but they would not lay a hand on his wife.

“Take him!” Terrance screeched and stepped back, his mouth open and his eyes wide as he watched his son take on both guards unarmed.

Vela saw Torin begin to fight for her, and she knew her time had come. The transformation took her before she had time to more than brace herself for the pain that always accompanied the slightest disobedience.

The pain never came. She was free.

The roar that exploded from her lungs as she lunged at Terrance was part battle cry and part victory cheer. She only lapsed into silence when her fangs found flesh. After that, she was too busy ending the life of the one who had ordered her enslavement to waste breath on celebrations.

Torin didn’t understand it, but somehow he was stronger and faster than he should have been. It gave him just enough of an edge that he was able to hold his own against the two armed and armored warriors, despite the fact he was unarmed and as naked as a newborn.

He fought in close quarters, rendering their weapons almost useless while giving him the opportunity to pummel them with his fists every time he found a gap in their defenses.

Both men stubbornly held onto their swords, trying to use them as clubs to subdue their prince. They failed. Torin was enraged to the point he barely felt the few weak blows they managed to land as he beat them back, his only thought to protect Vela.

His bare foot took one squarely in the side and he felt the man’s ribs crack as he sent him flying across the room. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Torin turned his full attention to the man still within reach. He landed several powerful blows, and the guard fell back in an attempt to escape the prince’s fury. Consumed by rage, Torin moved to finish the guard, only to spot a large, black shape in the corner of the room, belatedly realizing it was Vela.

His father’s agonized pleadings filled the air as she snarled and lunged, cutting off Terrance’s screams.

“Vela, no!” Torin roared, but it was too late.

At his bellow the guards turned their brutal attentions on Vela. Torin shoved the man he had been fighting out of his way and ran across the room toward the snarling panther, intent on protecting her. The other guard was trying to get within striking distance, circling in behind Vela as she stood over the remains of their king. It was clear to everyone present that his rule was over.

“Take another step toward your queen, and I will have you both executed for treason,” Torin snarled as the scope of what had just happened finally sunk in. His father was dead, but not by his hand. He could take the crown and end these dark days.

Both guards hesitated, and Torin placed himself between them and his bride. “That was a royal command, not a suggestion.”

“You’re not the king!” one of them said, threatening Torin with the point of his blade.

Vela was on him before he could take another step, launching herself past Torin to take the man down. Her claws shredded cloth and flesh alike as her jaws closed around his neck. He was dead before he hit the ground.

“You should not have defied your king,” Torin muttered before locking eyes with the sole remaining guard. “Am I your king?”

“Aye, Highness.” The man dropped his sword and fell to his knees, his head bowed.

“Then you may live. You will bear witness to what my father intended to happen today. When the questions are over, you will be free to leave. If you are seen within the borders of my kingdom again, you’ll die.”

“Aye, Highness.”

“Now go fetch my father’s chamberlain and counselors. They need to see for themselves what has come to pass. Tell no one else.”

The guard scrambled to his feet, fleeing from the room as fast as his feet would carry him. Torin had no doubt he would do exactly as he had been commanded. After all, his life depended on it. Vela chuffed, attracting his attention and he finally allowed himself the luxury of looking at her properly.

She was a creature of lethal elegance, her jet-black fur slicked with blood around her muzzle, one claw still resting on the back of the dead guard. This was his wife. His queen. She was going to be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come, or she would be if she stayed with him. As he stared down at the dangerous beauty fate had brought into his life, he wondered if there was any chance she would chose to remain in Stryx.

From the moment Torin had laid eyes on his lovely bride he’d wanted her, but now those feelings had been eclipsed by something far more powerful. It was as if she had become part of him. The thought of her being away from his side invoked emotions so strong they were almost physically painful.

This was not her land, and these were not her people, but in his heart Torin knew that she was the queen Stryx needed, just as he knew she was the woman he wanted at his side. As his wife, the mother of his children, and only woman who had seen past his flaws to the man he wanted to be. He loved her, and he knew that somehow he had to find a way to get her to stay with him. After all, her actions today had freed a kingdom from a tyrant, but she had also freed herself in the process. The question was, how had she done it?

“How is it that you transformed despite my express orders to the contrary?” he asked and she tipped her head back and yawned in response.

“That’s not an answer.”

Vela stood and sauntered to the foot of the bed, making sure he had ample time to see her feral form. She needed him to understand that both forms were part of who she was. He kept watching in rapt fascination as she finally released the feline form. Her panther vanished within a matter of heartbeats to be replaced by her human and very naked body.

“I cannot speak in that form,” she explained as she stretched and glanced down at her gore marked body in distaste. “I need to bathe.”

“First, you need to dress. I am afraid there will be a great many questions before either of us are allowed such niceties as a bath or a meal. You are not injured? How did you manage to transform? How did you break the spell?” He crossed the small space between them and drew her into his arms, running his hands over her as if confirming for himself that she was unhurt.

“I am not hurt,” she said as she wrapped her slender arms around his waist, holding onto him as tightly as he held her. “Did they injure you?”

“A few minor bruises I think. Nothing more. You still haven’t answered my question.” He nuzzled her hair and despite everything that had just happened, Vela felt the first stirrings of passion as his caresses grew more intimate.

“I think that the spell was broken last night, when I placed the ring on my hand. It…felt strange at first.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Torin demanded, his thoughts racing faster than a galloping horse. If she was free, he had very little time to convince her to stay.

She snorted with laughter. “If our situations were reversed, would you have told me?”

“I suppose not,” he conceded, pleased to hear her laughter after all that had transpired. Still holding her, he tugged the ring off of his hand and held it up for her to take. “This is yours now. We can have the torc removed whenever you grow tired of wearing it.”

“I don’t think I should. I suspect it’s the only reason we can still understand each other. Whatever spells are worked into it, some of them are still functioning.” She let go of him just long enough to slip the ring onto her finger. “I’m just going to have to get used to wearing it. There are quite a few things we are both going to have to get used to.”

His breath caught as she tipped her head up to smile at him. “But we’ll have time for all of that. I have made my decision, Torin. I have lost my home and my family, so I will stay here in Stryx and make another home. With you.”

He hugged her and she laughed again, baring teeth that were just a little too long and sharp to be human. “You are going to need a protector, Highness. You protected me today, and so I will return the favor while you reclaim your kingdom.”

***

CHAPTER 7

It had not been an easy day for either of them, but by the time the sun had set, the reign of King Terrance was over, and the rule of King Torin had begun.

In the beginning, there had been whispers against both of them, accusations of regicide and dark magics. No one could understand how Torin could have lost his stutter overnight, or how Vela could have killed the king alone. Still, they slowly accepted the inevitable, and by the end of the day most of those who had attended court had sworn allegiance.

Those who had refused to kneel to their new king had been sent into exile, losing land and title in the process. That didn’t have to happen more than a few times before the others began to fall into line.

Vela had stayed by her mate’s side, using her senses to listen to the mutterings and making note of the ones who betrayed their true feelings by scent or sound. A change in the pulse, a shift in tone or the scent of fear, these things marked the ones who would need to be dealt with before too long.

It was not a short list.

They had only managed a short reprieve to wash and dress before the day’s trials had started. Now that it was over, Vela longed for a hot bath to stave off the cold that had crept into her bones over the long hours and a good meal to restore her energy.

Torin’s first act as King had been to order the entire palace be scrubbed clean, so now an army of servants and maids were hard at work. As they passed another pair of servants taking down a series of aged and mildewing tapestries, Vela noticed that they were both smiling, and neither of them cringed away as Torin passed.

It was a good beginning.

Vela had listened as Torin had given orders for his father’s rooms to be emptied, and in the coming days they would be converted into new guest chambers. Neither of had any desire to sleep even a single night in his father’s old rooms. Instead, he had directed his mother’s chambers to be aired out and his own things to be moved there.

By the time they reached the newly scrubbed royal chambers, her nose was twitching from all the dust floating in the air, beaten out of dozens of hangings and rugs. Inside their new chambers everything gleamed. Vela recognized Torin’s desk, no longer buried under assorted documents but carefully organized and laid out, ready for him to use. They had brought everything up from Torin’s rooms, from weapons to wall hangings, fitting them in with the softer, more feminine furnishings that had once belonged to Torin’s mother.

There was no trace of decay or fear here, only the odor of cleanser mixed with some sort of herbal oils that freshened the air and reminded her of home. She sighed inwardly. The home of her childhood was lost to her. This was her home now, this frozen place of ice and darkness. Still, it wasn’t all bad. She had found her mate, and together they would rebuild his land into a place of freedom and happiness. And perhaps, when the spring came, she would find herself new woods to hunt in, and new meadows to claim as her own.

Torin’s strong arms slid around her waist and drew her into his embrace so her back was pressed to his chest and his lips were in her hair. “You seem sad, little beauty. What is it?”

“I miss my home, my family. I suppose I was just saying good bye to them in my heart.”

His breath fanned her hair and he held her tighter. “If you wish to go home, I’ll try and find a way to get you there. I will not keep you here against your will.”

She had to smile at that. They still had a lot to talk about, including the fact that even if he did find a way for her to get home again, she couldn’t leave him behind. Be it the whimsy of the gods of their worlds, simple fate, or some strange side effect of the magic that brought her here, they were now a bond-mated pair. She would stay with him for the rest of their days, bound to him by powers no enchanted ring or spell could ever match.

“I cannot go home now, Torin.” She placed her hand over top of his. “Find me a mirror, and I will explain what we haven’t had time to talk about until now.”

“There’s a mirror in the bathing chamber, as well as a hot bath awaiting us.” He lifted her effortlessly into his arms, and carried her through an archway hung with heavy drapes. Beyond the curtain the air was filled with fragrant steam and Vela immediately felt a sense of contentment come over her. This felt more like home, warm and smelling of sweet fruits and green things.

“Let me introduce you to one of the benefits of being my queen.” He took her to the middle of the space, letting her see the massive copper tub that took up much of the room. Dark marbled stone covered the walls and the floor, and she was surprised to see there were plants in here, their leaves dripping with condensation. “The room above this one is where the water is heated. You can have as many hot baths as it takes to get you through the winters.”

“I feel warmer already.” She looked around and her cat let out a soft purr of contentment.

Torin glanced down at her, his lips quirking into a smile at the noise. “That is the most captivating sound.”

“My cat is showing her approval,” she said and drew in a quick breath before touching her fingers to his chest. “I suspect you can do it too, just like you can growl now.”

Torin’s brow furrowed and he dropped his gaze to her finger. “I don’t growl.”

“Oh? You certainly did this morning.”

He set her down and turned her so she was facing him, and she found herself staring into his gold and silver eyes. It seemed a good place to start her explanations. “You should probably go look in the mirror before we continue this conversation.”

“Care to tell me what I’m looking for?” he asked as he located the nearest mirror and turned to face it. Torin wasn’t sure what Vela wanted him to see, but he knew by the way she was standing, her shoulders tensed and her hands fisted at her sides, that it was a matter of some importance.

“You’re not the same man you were when we met. Look at your eyes, Torin.”

“What’s wrong with my eyes? People kept staring at me today and I have no idea…” His words trailed off as he finally saw his gray-flecked green eyes. “What did you do to me, woman?”

“It would appear I cured your stutter, for one thing. And you can be sure that what I did, I did not do on purpose! I didn’t even know it was possible,” she snapped at him, reminding him that his eyes were not the only difference he had awoken to this morning. He had been giving the gift of easy speech on the day he needed it the most.

“Vela, stop hissing and spitting like a wet cat and tell me why my eyes are green, damn it! Why don’t I stutter any longer? And why in the name of the gods do I feel stronger and faster than I did yesterday?”

“I may have…bitten you last night,” she confessed. “Possibly more than once. It’s the way of my people to mingle our blood when we mate. If the mating is true, then a bond forms. It was instinct!”

He turned to look at her, trying to make sense of her words. “So I’m your mate?”

She nodded.

“What does that mean? I’m like you now?” Possibilities poured through his head in a flood. To have Vela at his side and even a small measure of her strength and speed would make the coming battles to reclaim and then rebuild his home easier. It was yet another gift from the gods and the woman he loved.

Vela threw up her hands. She didn’t have the answers to his question. Not yet. “I don’t think you’re going to sprout claws and fur, but…you might? I don’t know, Torin. I didn’t think it could even happen, and then when I realized it had, your father was there before we could talk!”

He strode across the room, making a beeline for her and for a second she thought he was angry. Then she saw the dark passion in his eyes, and she knew. Torin would never be angry at her. He would never hurt or betray her. This was her mate, and he loved her as much as she loved him.

Torin jerked her into his arms, bringing her up against the hard planes of his body, the thick ridge of his cock pressed into her stomach. “Tell me what it means to be a true mate.”

“We belong to each other now, Torin. I am yours forever, and you are mine.”

Calloused fingers cradled her chin, lifting her head so she could see his face. “So your blood has made me stronger?”

“It would seem so.”

He laughed. A deep, booming sound that echoed off the dark stone walls. “My father got his wish after all. I have gained a powerful and enchanting fae wife who will not leave me, and you have strengthened his bloodline, just as he wanted.”

She laughed with him and then tugged his head down so she could whisper against his lips. “Not just as he wanted. We will be far happier than he would have ever wished us to be.”

“From your sweet lips, to the gods’ ears,” he murmured and then his mouth was mating with hers, his kiss hungry and demanding. They tore at each other’s clothes, getting in each other’s way, laughing between kisses as they sought bare skin and the comfort of each other’s touch.

They had known each other a single day, but that meant nothing. She craved him like a hummingbird craved nectar. The taste of his mouth, the feel of his hands on her body, the way his voice made her stomach quiver and her heart race. This was the mating fire, and now she knew it would always be like this between them.

He tore away the last of her gown, uttering a rumbling growl that made her temperature soar. Her thighs grow sticky and slick with the evidence of her need. Claws came forth unbidden, marking his chest as her cat answered in kind. Her feet left the ground as he carried her to the tub, his mouth still on hers.

Torin’s blood sang as his little beauty wrapped her legs around his hips and ground herself against his cock, nearly making him stumble as he stepped into the tub. “Stop that, beauty, or we’re going to wind up tangled and wet even faster than we planned.”

She deliberately wriggled against him again and gave him a challenging grin. “And if I don’t?”

“You might be queen, but I’m still your king.” He arched a single brow upward, giving her an imperious look. “Behave yourself or I’ll have to remind you who’s in charge.”

Her breath caught in her lungs and he knew he’d piqued her interest. “You’d like that? Answer me, little beauty. Would you like me to show you who is master in this marriage?” He raked his teeth across her lower lip, the roughness of his touch making her quiver.

Vela lifted her gaze to his and found herself dazzled by the glow of his silver and green eyes. Her mate was not a true feral, but as she stared into his eyes she knew he was no longer completely human either.

“Aye,” she whispered and nipped his lip sharply. He rumbled something that was not quite a purr, and held her close as he carefully lowered them both into the water.

The heat was intense, but so pleasurable she moaned into his mouth as the water rose up and enveloped her in a pleasantly scented cocoon of comfort. Torin stretched out his legs, lowering her so that she was resting on his thighs. Her legs were still wrapped around his hips, lightly pinned between his body and the tub.

“I think this should be our nightly ritual, the two of us bathing before bed. What do you think?”

“I think it a very civilized custom,” she said with a nod of approval.

“Mhhmm. And yet, I don’t think you are a very civilized woman.” His wet hands cupped her breasts and toyed with her nipples until they hardened into peaks. “You are glorious and wild, my queen. But I am your king, and your master.”

She flashed her teeth in silent challenge, pushing him just a little.

He retaliated by pinching her nipples with just enough force to blur the line between pleasure and pain, and again her claws appeared as she drove the points into his flesh of his shoulders. His eyes darkened, his nostrils flared, and her pussy pulsed as she watched his primal response.

“Mine,” he growled and released one breast to draw a slow, lazy path down to her sweet pussy. He kept his touches light, teasing her until she rocked her hips against his hand and growled in frustration. “Say it. Say you belong to me!”

She pressed her lips together, shaking her head in light-hearted defiance. She liked him this way, unleashed and powerful.

“You will say it,” he warned her as he slipped two fingers into her pussy at last, scissoring them to stretch and torment her. His mouth found hers, muffling her cries of pleasure as he fucked her with his fingers. He brought her to the brink of release, but never let her take the final plunge, keeping her breathless and aching.

Torin was enjoying teasing her, aware that he would pay for it eventually. When she tore her mouth from his to sink her teeth into his shoulder, he roared. Not with pain, but with pure, primal joy. He had her warm, wet body out of the water within seconds, lifting her so that she was draped over the edge of the tub with her back to him.

He playfully swatted the soft curve of her ass cheek, and before she could do more than snarl, he moved in behind her. He used the bulk of his body to pin her in place as he pushed his knees between hers, forcing her legs apart. The heat of the water only added to the fire in his blood as she struggled against his hold. He knew she could break free if she wanted to, just as they both knew he would stop if she so much as whispered to him to end their game. The truth was that they both wanted it like this, rough, hard and wild.

Heat and longing surged through Vela’s body as she waited for Torin to take her. Their rough and tumble play had brought her to the edge of her control and she needed his cock inside her now more than she needed air.

As if reading her mind, Torin surged up and in, filling her in one hard thrust. She cried out in triumphant pleasure as their bodies joined. This was a how it would always be between them, wild passion and a love that would grow with the passing years. Wet flesh slapped together as he took her hard and fast, driving himself so deeply into her body she suspected she would never forget the feel of him inside her.

Nerves sang and her release drew near again, but as she raced toward bliss he slowed his pace again. She keened in protest and he laughed, his voice a dark caress just near her ear.

“Not until you say it, Vela.”

She growled and struggled again, but he held her in place and continued to pleasure her as she thrashed and grumbled. Every stroke of his thick length was a pleasurable torment, building her up higher and tighter until she was quivering with need.

“You know it’s true, you’ve even said it before. Tell me again. Who do you belong to?”

“You!” She reached the end of her resistance and gave him what he wanted, what he needed. “I belong to you, Torin.”

He rewarded her then, his clever fingers reaching around to toy with her clit as he took her with punishing force. She was swept up in a wave of pleasure so vast she lost herself in it. As she screamed out her release, he came inside her, adding his voice to hers.

He gathered her close and drew her back down into the water, his cock still buried in her body and his arms around her waist. She could hear his breath still sawing from his lungs as he nuzzled her hair with an affectionate chuckle.

“And I always thought cats didn’t like the water.”

She turned her head back to look at him and laughed. “This cat will learn to make an exception.”

“Then tomorrow I’ll see about building us a bigger bathing chamber. I think we’re going to be spending a lot of time here, at least until spring returns.”

“First we’ll build a bigger bathing chamber, then we’ll rebuild your kingdom,” she corrected as she smiled at him.

A deep sense of contentment filled Torin’s soul, driving out the last of the loneliness that had filled the dark corners of his psyche. “Our kingdom, Vela. We’re going to rebuild Stryx together, and make it a place our children can be proud to rule one day.”

“Our kingdom,” she murmured, liking the way the words sounded. “Our home.”

The End

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan lives out on the Canadian west coast surrounded by open water, dear family, and good friends. She’s jumped out of perfectly good airplanes on purpose and had lunch next to royalty by accident. She’s worked for local law enforcement, been a freelance wordsmith, and bakes what she claims are the world’s best double-chocolate-and-caramel brownies. She’s passionately in love with the written word (and a few of her more hunky creations). Writing is her joy, her escape from reality, and the only way she knows of to quiet the nagging harridan of a muse she claims the universe assigned to her.

For all titles by Susan Hayes, please visit

amazon.com/author/susanhayes

Or visit her website

susanhayes.ca

Book Two in the Summoned Series

Summoned and Stolen

Summoned into slavery, but unchained by love...

Lily is a magically bound slave who exists only to serve as a living ornament - the greatest of her master’s treasures.  When her master is killed, she finds herself bound to a vicious and cruel Duke whose dark intentions leave her terrified for her life.

Kel is the leader the fiercest mercenary army in the kingdoms, answering to no man and guided only by his personal code of honor. Upon learning that he and his men fought and died so their employer could gain control of a fae pleasure slave, he is furious. When that same man breaks his word and refuses to pay for Kel’s services, the mercenary knows just how to even the score.  He steals the Duke’s prize, the lovely fae slave.

Freedom comes at a cost, and the price Kel paid for the slave girl has made him a wanted man. Now the renegade warrior and the soft-hearted fae healer are running for their lives.  To survive, Lily must put her life in the bloodstained hands of a killer. To have what her heart desires, she’ll need to heal more than Kel’s wounds. She’ll need to heal his heart.

Now available