In the Palace of Lazar (Harem Book 1)

by Alta Hensley

  Briar sensed his presence the moment he walked in. Donte—the man she hadn't been able to get out of her mind since she arrived at the harem—was staring at her as she did her morning exercise with Maysa. Up and down the courtyard stairs had become their usual routine. Maysa had lightheartedly informed Briar that a firm butt was a necessity. Briar didn't mind the climbing of stairs unless a larger than normal plug was planted firmly in her bottom. Regardless, she and Maysa never faltered from their habitual workout.

  She picked up her pace a little, her emotions getting the best of her. There was something about him that made her heart beat faster, her core seemed to heat up, and she couldn't control her need to stare. She knew she was here for the brothers, but after last night, Briar wanted to give her body fully to Donte. As she watched him stride across the courtyard to where Mistress Krin stood, she nearly stumbled on her next step.

  "Careful there," Maysa warned. "Why are you going so fast? The plug in my behind is demanding I take this a bit slower."

  Briar watched the pained expression on her friend's face and giggled. She slowed her climb with a wink.

  She couldn't help but stare at Donte as he discussed something that seemed of importance with Mistress Krin. Her gaze rested on the bulge in his pants. She wished she had been able to please him again this morning before he rushed off. She could almost taste the saltiness of his sex at the thought. The image of his cock, inches from her face, would forever be burned into her memories.

  Swiping at her loose hair, her pulse sped as she glanced his way. Donte's steely eyes made contact with hers. He stood with his arms across his chest as he studied the way she marched up the steps. Never taking his eyes off her, he leaned and whispered something to Mistress Krin. He appeared… angry. Had she done something wrong?

  He took large strides her way and stood at the bottom of the stairs. "Briar, I would like a word with you."

  She stopped and made her way to where he stood, noticing that Maysa continued her climb, no doubt wanting to avoid Donte's wrath.

  His boyish smile of the morning had gone. "Follow me." He turned and headed to the palace. Briar hesitated for a moment, but quickly followed step.

  They entered a part of the palace she had never been in. Donte opened a large wooden door and motioned for her to enter. A quick scan of the room informed her they were not alone. Hovering by a large table were two uniformed men who had swords hanging from their sides. They appeared different than the guards she had seen around the palace. They scanned her body, making Briar grateful she wasn't nude. Her silks seemed see-through with their razor glares. Fear crowded in. She stopped walking and waited until Donte stood beside her.

  His hand pressed firmly against her lower back, not giving her the reassuring feeling it once did. Something was wrong.

  "We have some questions we need to ask you," Donte said evenly as he led her to a chair. "We want to know why you came to the Palace of Lazar," he continued.

  She took a seat, desperately wanting to escape the men's stares. "I told you. I wanted something different from what most communes offered."

  "Why did you leave the commune of Hope?" one of the uniformed men asked. Even though it was a question, it sounded as if it were an order.

  Her heart stopped. She didn't want to talk about her past. She looked down at the ground. "It was over-crowded."

  "So your family left?" the man continued.

  Briar shook her head. Tears welled in the back of her eyes, but she willed herself to keep them at bay.

  "You left alone?" the man pressed.

  She nodded.

  "So, you are saying that as a young woman, you left your birth commune all alone because you felt it was too crowded?" Briar hated the tone of this man's voice.

  She nodded again, refusing to look at anyone.

  The man walked over and slammed his hand on the table, causing Briar to jump in her seat. "Look at me when I speak to you!"

  Donte closed in and pushed the man back. "Enough." His order was sharp, direct and unyielding. "Address the lady with respect."

  The uniformed man glared at Briar, but walked to the other side of the table.

  His suspicious eyes examined her closely as he spoke. "Hope is further than most men can journey. Tell me how a young girl, all alone, trekked her way through the desert and landed here."

  Briar looked at Donte who nodded slightly, giving her the strength to answer. "I didn't have a choice." She took a breath, now feeling like a weight rested on her chest. "Hope reached capacity and began to evict the sick, weak, and old. I wasn't any of those, but my grandmother was. I couldn't allow an old woman to be cast to the desert alone. How would she survive? What would she do?" Briar swiped at a fleeing tear. "So I gave her my space in the commune. My chances of surviving the desert were greater than hers. I at least had a chance."

  "So where did you go?" the man pressed.

  Briar looked down at the ground but continued. "I traveled the desert for two days when I reached the commune of Luge. I stayed there for a few days and then journeyed to the commune of Salen." Briar looked up and met his stare. "I've been to twelve communes, with one goal. My final destination was the Palace of Lazar."

  "What about Jaden? How long were you in Jaden?" He continued with the interrogation.

  She looked at Donte who studied her every move. She remained silent.

  "Answer the question," Donte encouraged.

  "Why are you asking me these questions?"

  The man slammed his hand on the table again. "Answer the question!"

  Donte glared at the man. "I won't warn you again. You will not speak to her in any way but with respect!"

  The man huffed, but acquiesced by sitting down.

  She studied the interrogating man and realized what was happening. "You think I'm a spy for Jaden. They're getting ready to attack, and you think they sent me. Don't you?"

  She looked up at Donte whose stare never wavered.

  "You think I was sent here to help them take over. You don't believe my story. Do you?"

  "I do not think a young woman could possibly travel the distance you claim. I also do not think it is possible that you could have survived the journey from even Jaden, let alone Hope," the man said with venom dripping from his voice.

  Briar looked back at Donte. "What about you? Do you think Jaden sent me?" Panic almost paralyzed her. What would they do if they thought she was a spy? Would they kill her? Cast her out to the desert? What would happen if they didn't believe her story?

  "How long were you in Jaden?" Donte asked.

  "A week… a little over a week. I was there long enough to see that they were building their army. But I wasn't part of it. I swear!" Fear caused her voice to crack.

  "Tell us what you know about Jaden," Donte ordered softly.

  Briar watched each man as they studied every move and every word she released. She could tell they thought she knew more than she was letting on. She knew this was her only chance to convince them her actions were true.

  "Every man and woman of strength were being turned to soldiers. Jaden was one of the few communes actively requesting new residents. The word spread fast in the other communes. Jaden became the destination of many pilgrimages. When I arrived, I soon saw that Jaden was no different than any other community. Over population, disease, hate, crime—just like the rest of them. But what Jaden had that the others didn't, was structure. The militant environment frightened me. Power hungry soldiers stood on every corner." She paused to take a deep breath. "Tents were being set up outside the city boundaries to house even more soldiers. Blacksmiths were brought in to create more weapons. I've never seen anything like it. Jaden was by far the largest commune I had seen."

  "Did you ever see a water source?" Donte asked.

  "What do you mean?"

  "Did you see a lake? A river? A large well of some sorts? Where did the residents get their water?"

  "There was a lake in the middle," she said. "There were large pum
ps coming from the lake, so I guess they got it from there."

  Donte began to pace the room. "What type of weapons? What were the blacksmiths making?"

  Briar pointed to the sword on the uniformed man's leg. "Swords like that one. It seemed that there were more weapons than food."

  Donte's eyebrow rose. "Food? Was food scarce?"

  Briar nodded. "Just like every other commune."

  The uniformed man added, "And yet they were taking in more residents…"

  "What about horses? Did they have horses?" Donte asked, worry washed over his face.

  Briar shook her head confused. "Horses? I told you that food was scarce."

  "Were they riding horses?" he asked.

  Briar didn't know what he was talking about. Why would they ride on their food source?

  "Briar, did you see any of the soldiers riding horses?"

  Briar shook her head. "I didn't see any animals, but then the first time I've seen any animals is when I got here." The Palace of Lazar had livestock grazing, peacocks roaming the grounds, sheep in the distance. For the first time, Briar had seen animals not just used for slaughter.

  Donte nodded. "That is enough for now." He looked at the men. "Gentlemen, I believe Briar has been asked enough questions." He reached for her hand and assisted her out of the chair. He placed his hand on her lower back and escorted her out of the room. She could feel the glares of the men, but with Donte's touch, she no longer had any fear.

  Chapter Ten

  Briar walked down the hallway and mentally prepared herself for what would come next. Did they think she was a spy? Was Donte going to ask her to leave the harem?

  Donte's tall frame towered over her. If she had any doubt of his strength, the way he conducted himself with the other men proved he was a man not to mess with.

  His gaze found hers, his eyes as blue as the water that cascaded out of the fountains that blanketed the palace and so piercing at the same time.

  She caught her breath, not being able to control the yearning that sliced through her at his nearness. He led them toward his private quarters.

  "I have some further issues to discuss with you," he said as he led her past the entrance.

  "Do you believe that Jaden sent me?" she asked, her voice not much more than a whisper.

  "I believe you came here on your own free will."

  Briar swallowed hard. He didn't fully answer her question.

  Donte reached up to caress the smooth line of her jaw. "I believe you are the strongest woman I have met. I believe you managed to do things and travel distances that no man could do. You sacrificed yourself for the sake of a loved one. I have not met anyone who would do that."

  Her eyes glittered with tears, the words stinging her soul.

  "I have never admired a woman before," he said, his finger moving to tease her lower lip, torturing her with such a gentle touch. He sighed and stepped backward, his hand dropping away.

  It was a struggle not to reach for him, to not fall into his embrace, to not feel his intimate touch. She remembered the way his hand felt against her skin, how the discipline of last night had her moaning for more. The hunger for his cock almost took her breath away. All this time being trained as a harem girl had left her thirstier than any day in the desert. She desperately wanted her thirst quenched by his seed.

  She wanted to give herself to him. She wanted it even more than serving the brothers of the palace. But she was also afraid. Her virginity belonged to them as it was part of being in the harem.

  His voice brought her back to the present. "We are going to have to evacuate the harem," he said, turning away and walking toward the unlit fireplace.

  "What? Why?" Her heart stopped. She wondered if she'd faint right there. She knew what his answer would be.

  Resting an arm on the mantle, with his back facing her, he answered, "Jaden is planning their attack on the palace. We aren't prepared, and although we plan to fight, the battle will not be in our favor." He turned to face her. "We are going to split up the harem and have you all go to different communes. We have neighboring allies that will assist. But in the meantime, we have to make sure the women cannot be taken hostage. Capturing the harem would be quite the prize and offer bragging rights. No matter what, even with the fall of Lazar, we will not give them the harem."

  Briar shook her head, not knowing what to say, but positive she didn't like what she was hearing.

  Donte continued, "I am going to ask you to lead one of the groups. You clearly understand the land and the ruthless nature of the desert. You are a fighter, and I have no doubt you can lead your group to safety."

  Briar's ears rang, her breath ragged. She shook her head again, but remained silent.

  "We feel breaking the harem in three groups will be the best. We need all the guards to stay and fight, so we have no choice but to send the women alone. I will put Mistress Krin in charge of one group, and Mistress Tula in charge of the other. But the remaining one will be led by you."

  Words escaped her. She wanted to scream no, but her voice was lost in her ocean of fear.

  "It will be expected that you lead your group, and wait for us to retrieve you."

  Briar finally found the words. "I want to stay with you," she whispered hoarsely. "Let us stay and fight. At least let me stay and fight."

  Donte shook his head. "You would not be a help, but a hindrance. I cannot have my men worried about the safety of the harem, when they need to be worrying about their own lives."

  The words stung even though they were true.

  Donte crossed the room in three long strides to where she stood. "I need you, Briar. I need your strength to keep you and the other women safe. I need you to do this for me."

  Briar shook her head vehemently. "No. I can't."

  "I am not asking. I am commanding."

  "No! No! No!"

  She shook her head. Hysteria washing over. They were going to die. Donte, the brothers, the guards, even the harem. They were all going to die.

  "No!" she screamed. Breathing became harder, her heart threatened to rip out of her chest.

  Donte grabbed her by the shoulders and shook. "Briar, look at me. Control yourself. I have no doubt you can do this. I need you to be able to do this."

  His mouth descended. His kiss conquered her lips as she so desperately hoped he would conquer Jaden.

  Passion erupted, a fervor stronger than any power known to man. His kiss dominated every sense in her body. It demanded every emotion, every feeling. Everything in her became his with one demanding kiss. She couldn't breathe, couldn't reason, couldn't put up any resistance as his strong arms swooped her up and carried her over to his bed. And fear of the future erased within his arms.

  Without saying a word, he removed her silks in one fluid motion. She stood at the edge completely nude. It wasn't the first time she stood naked before him, but this time was different. Her body sizzled beneath his hungry stare. Lust melted her core. Her pussy throbbed in anticipation.

  "Lay down." His command was husky as he removed his clothes, baring his caramel skin.

  Briar licked her lips in anticipation.

  The candlelight fired his ebony hair, his face glowed in the warm light. His hard edges softened as he pressed the palm of her hand against his chest. She could feel his heart beat against her touch. He never released her of his stare as the rhythm of his life pounded against her hand. One beat at a time, the connection between the two formed.

  He kissed her again, possessing her mouth with slow thoroughness. His lips pressed firmly to hers as his tongue plunged deep within her mouth. Pulling away, he placed soft kisses along her neck, along her collarbone, slowly lowering until his tongue teased her erect nipple.

  Her body jerked in response to the touch. A gasp escaped her lips as his mouth sucked her nipple completely. Lost in sensation, Briar's mind swirled beneath her closed eyes. He moved to the other hardened nipple, edging her closer and closer to a cliff of abandoned passion.

 
With a trail of kisses down her stomach, Donte placed his body between her spread legs. Caressing her moistened folds, he expertly plunged his finger into her pussy. Briar tensed at the surprise invasion, but relaxed as he massaged his way in. He began a seductive dance with his hand, in and out of her wet entrance. Looking into her eyes, he lowered his mouth to her clit and circled his tongue along the bud. Gentle licks with gentle thrusts of his finger pulled a moan from the depths of Briar's core.

  "Open your legs wider," he commanded.

  She did as he asked, feeling the cool air against the wetness of her sex. Continuing to move his finger in and out of her pussy, Donte licked down the length of her folds until he stopped at her puckered hole. He circled his tongue along the sensitive entrance, the tip threatening to push past.

  She instantly tensed, closing her legs around his head. The wet kiss in such an intimate spot, shot an electric bolt to her center.

  He sat up and stared at her for a moment. The blue in his eyes clouded with desire. He grabbed her ankles with one hand and raised her legs up, as if changing a baby. Her legs bent so her knees were nearly resting on her stomach.

  "I told you to open your legs, Briar." He swatted her exposed bottom twice. "I expect you to submit completely. Allow yourself to trust in my touch. Trust that I know exactly what your body needs." He began to spank her bottom as she did everything she could not to wiggle from his hold.

  Spank after spank, Donte delivered the discipline. The sting, the submissive position, the complete act, consumed her senses. Wave after wave of fire spread from her punished behind, right to her heated pussy. An orgasm built with every swat as Donte stared into her eyes. As if reading her body perfectly, he lowered his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her clit and thrust his finger back into the wetness where it once was.

  That was all it took for Briar to convulse. Pleasure racked her body, forcing a scream to release. Her back arched as her pussy pulsated around his hand.