“I shall remember. I promise. I am sorry, Mikhal. You have been so very lenient with me and the freedom has been so wonderful. I forget that there are times when I should defer to you.”
“All I ask is that you understand that, Alliana. I do not wish to beat you into a timid little mouse with no fire or opinion of your own. I simply wish for you to be a bit more ... agreeable at times.”
She snuggled into his chest then looked up at him; eyes wide then fluttered her lashes. “Then you will allow me to speak freely of my thoughts.”
You are incorrigible wife. Yes, I will allow you to speak freely, when we are alone, and even then you are not to berate me for my final decisions. Now then, I can see in your eyes that there is something you want. If you are so bold as to ask right after a spanking then it must be important to you. What it is, Alliana?”
Alliana gave him a small smile and reached up to stroke his cheek, doing her best to use all of the womanly wiles she possessed. “Well there is one little thing, tis about Natalya and Lucian. I feel it would be best if you allowed Natalya to decide what she wants. I wish for you to relinquish your claim on her.”
Mikhal remembered the feelings of jealousy that had come from Alliana back when he’d been under the empathy curse, and it made him wonder if those feelings had any factoring into this latest request.
“She is claimed so that she may be protected here in the castle, and that includes from Lucian.”
“I do not believe that Natalya wishes protection from Lucian, nor does she need it. Tis clear he wants her for his own and Natalya is wise enough to decide for herself if he shall or shall not have her.”
“I know you desire Natalya’s heart to be happy, but I must ensure Lucian’s motives are honorable. I will take your wishes and hers into consideration, but be warned, the final decision is mine to make. I want none of your tirades if I do not do as you ask.”
Alliana, while not completely happy with his answer, knew she had to be satisfied. She also knew that she was lucky he had even listened to her. As he had said, most men did what they wanted without thought to the women involved. They were chattel to be traded and offered up like beasts at an auction. Bargained with for the sole purpose of gain. Twas a rare find to have a man who respected her opinion and considered Natalya’s feelings as well.
Knowing all this, feeling love for her husband swell in her breast, she wrapped her arms around his neck and drew his head down, nuzzling his nose as she cuddled in his lap.
“Tis all I ask, husband. Thank you.”
Picking her up, even as their lips joined, Mikhal carried her to his massive bed, knowing he needed relief for his aching loins. The act of reddening her bottom had set a fire burning, and her wiggling around upon his hard cock had made him feel as if he were ready to burst.
Laying her down, rolling her upon her belly so he could make quick work of the ties of her gown, Mikhal made a vow to himself that he was going to ask Natalya how soon it would be safe to properly make love to his wife the next time he saw the Gypsy woman.
Once Alliana was bare, gazing up at him expectantly, he ran a hand down over her delectable form, and then hurried to his chamber door to bar it. He’d momentarily forgotten that Lucian had orders to appear as soon as his wound was tended. Well his first in command was going to have to wait, Mikhal had a very willing wife lying in wait in his bed, and he damned well was going to see to both of their needs.
Chapter Twelve
As the Master of the castle was preparing to make love to his well chastised wife, Lucian was sitting before the hearth in Natalya’s chamber, watching her through veiled eyes as she gathered her medicinal supplies. As he studied her, admiring the graceful way she moved about, he noted the curve of her hips and the swell of her breasts as he always did when in close proximity to the tempting Gypsy. Such luscious sights of course led his mind to the hour before, and he thought back to how it had felt to hold her before they had been interrupted in her chamber.
She had become willing then, pliant and soft, warm and sweet. Lips like the sweetest of mead mixed with the spice of passion, hair tumbling down her back like a waterfall of copper silk, so lovely. Her green eyes had shown with the desire she tried so hard to resist. The desire she didn’t understand, and he wondered if she ever dreamt of him as he did of her.
Was it the most simple of touches that fueled the fire in her core or was it because she had passionate dreams of the two of them together? The latter was unlikely for he was certain she had never known the kind of pleasure he could give her. T’would be a sweet lesson when it was carried out, that was for certain, and Lucian didn’t plan on waiting long to teach her.
The clearing of her throat brought him back to reality, pulling him from the sweet daydream he’d so easily created. Looking up, he saw her right before him, hands on hips, and that spark of irritation he knew so very well in her eyes.
“Lucian, I said that I need for you to remove your shirt. I can hardly tend to your wound like this with your shirt still on. It must be cleaned and bandaged.”
He hadn’t heard her, truly he hadn’t, but to see her with her hackles up, cheeks glowing was a sight indeed, so he didn’t regret his inattention. Giving her a half-cocked grin, he moved to the laces of his shirt and undid them with ease, but when he made to pull the blood soaked garment over his head, the grin turned into a grimace.
“Wait, it’s too much. I shall cut it away.”
He raised his eyebrows, the grimace of pain receding at once at the thought of her delicate hands disrobing him. True it was to be only his shirt, but her touch on his bare skin would be sweet indeed.
“Cease your unscrupulous thoughts. This is simply to tend you.” Her tone was sharp as Natalya tried her best to focus on the task at hand. He was wounded, and it was all because of her. There wasn’t time to dwell on the fact that she would be stripping him half bare and tending to that oh so well muscled chest.
Turning away, she fetched the small shears from her sewing basket and returned to him, determined to remain impassive. Lucian stared up at her, a bemused look upon his face, having every intention of taking advantage of the situation that had presented itself. If he had to suffer the pain of a wound, then he should reap the benefits as well.
Natalya scowled at him once more then looked down, gathering the hem of his shirt in her hand and snipping upward with the shears. When she had sliced it from hem to neck, she did the same to each sleeve, effectively rendering the garment into pieces. Once this was done, with no glance upward at his eyes that would distract her, she began to peel away the now useless scraps of material.
“Twill you be sewing a new garment for me then?”
Natalya made a small huff and ignored his baiting, continuing with her work, removing everything but the cloth over his wound. When she came to the last bit, she ran her hands ever so gently over the area, testing for spots where the fabric had become adhered to the skin. Finding that the blood had indeed already made the material sticky she looked up at him with such an expression of worry that it made his dead heart flutter.
“It will hurt a bit but it can’t be helped.”
“I appreciate your concern for my welfare, sweet Lady, but I am not a babe. Do what needs to be done.”
To be honest, Lucian found her feather light touch to be highly erotic, regardless of why she was doing as she was. Her hands had caressed his alabaster skin as she had stripped him, and whether by choice or by chance it mattered not to him. He enjoyed every moment, even the last when she tugged gently at the blood soaked shirt removing it in one quick action.
Once the fabric was pulled away, blood began to flow freely from the wound once again. Painting the sleek ivory canvass of Lucian’s chest with a macabre scene of crimson. Natalya frowned, her face betraying her emotions over having been the cause of his injury and turned away, full of remorse to bring the ewer and bowl closer.
“Natalya, tis fine. Was what any man would do. Your honor was at stake.”
“Tis not fine. You should not have had to fight my battles for me.”
“Then you would have had me let you go? You would have chosen to leave with your husband to save me from a bit of pain? Would have gone with a man who called you a whore in order to keep him from becoming enraged?”
“NO! I... I did not wish to go. I simply feel guilt over what happen to you because of me.”
“T’was our actions that were the cause, Natalya, not yours alone. And you can be certain that I shall take you in my arms again. I regret nothing. He didn’t care for you, didn’t respect you; didn’t know what you need to be happy. For that matter he didn’t care. It was his own happiness and pride that made him fight.”
“And you, Lucian, what are your reasons for wanting me for your own? Do you care for me, respect me, and wish for my happiness or is it simple lust in your loins that drives you? Lust that once fulfilled will turn you into a man who treats women the same as all others. A prize is much more valued before it is had.”
“You ask me that after all this time? Have I ever shown you disrespect? I mean true disrespect that showed I do not care for your wishes? The things I do woman are not because I am ordered. I could escort you about and not speak to you. Treat you with civility without a shred of warmth, but I do none of that. Have I ever overstepped my bounds in regards to kissing you or holding you? Yes, but t’was a mutual longing that drives me to do so. I wish to see you happy, Natalya, and I also know that I am the man who can make that happen.”
“A pleasurable tumble does not make for a joyful life.”
“Why must you be so insufferably stubborn? I admit to my desire for you, but I also value your company. Your wit is refreshing even if it maddens me at times. You are a challenge, Natalya, a rare prize. You have beauty and brains and fire. I wish for no simpering ninny to stay with me the rest of my days; I wished for a woman who can converse with intelligence and hold her own in a match of wits. Sharp tongue or no, your words are of interest as are your ideas.
“I mean no ill, but your husband wanted you back simply because to leave without you wounded his ego. I venture to guess that you and he have never sparred as we do, never conversed freely. As most women are expected to do I assume you hid your intelligence and held your tongue to please him. That is what he wanted, sweet; he wanted his dutiful wife back. I wish to have all of you, the bold and the sweet.”
“If I allow you to mate with me, to marry me, you will feel you are my owner. I know it’s true. Human or demon, males wish to dominate and I shan’t be told what to do! Now hush and let me tend you. You are making a mess of my rug.”
It was true, his blood was flowing freely, making a small puddle beneath the chair, but he wasn’t done with her. When she turned to the ewer he reached up and took hold of her arm.
“I have accepted you for who you are, my sweet Gypsy. Your behavior is infuriating, your tongue sharp, but it matches the fire of your spirit and that is something I treasure. While it is true that I would expect you to obey me in certain things, I would never beat you or force you to be subservient simply because you were mine. To do that would crush that spirit I love so much. It would put out the fire that makes you so unique.”
“I said enough. I cannot do what I must with you worrying at my nerves. I admit that I desire your touch, but I have yet to feel the desire to be owned. Lord Arcos is a lenient man. I enjoy my freedom and I shan’t give that up.”
“You will.”
Natalya’s nostrils flared as she huffed out in indignation.
“Your passion will drive you back to my arms and once there, I shall convince you there is no other place you should ever be.”
“Your arrogance is unbelievable.”
“I am simply a man who is confident in himself, and who also knows you. I know how to make you happy Natalya. Beyond the bedroom as well as in it, and you shall soon see where the most joy in your life can be found.”
“Well the blinders have yet to be removed. In fact this conversation has put them more firmly in place, so I suggest you release me and follow my order to be silent.”
He pulled her to him with lightening quick speed, causing her to lose her balance and tumble unceremoniously into his lap. Arms like steel wrapped around her, pinning her to his chest as his lips came down to hover above hers.
“Your shoulder.” She tried to wiggle away but he held her fast, crushing her to him, ignoring the agony burning through his flesh.
“Tis the pain in my heart your barbed words have caused that wounds me far more than my arm. Look at me and listen well, Natalya.” He paused, waiting for her to cease her struggles and do as he asked. Finally she did so, not wishing to injure him further and turned her eyes to his, which were mere inches away, boring down into her soul even as his lips still hovered.
She bit her lips, stifling a gasp and he moved one hand to hold her chin. “Hear me now, sweet. I care for you.”
His words were softer and his lips moved even closer.
“I wish for you to be my mate.” She was drawn in by his eyes, not by a thrall but by the sheer power of his magnetism over her as his lips hovered, waiting to taste, to plunder.
“I wish to keep you close and bring you joy for all of your days.” Brushing her lips lightly with his he gave her only a meager taste of things to come.
“I wish to bring your passion alive, to make the fire burn even hotter in your belly, to take you to heights of pleasure you have never known, and when I am through I wish to hold you and cherish you for the wonderful gift you are.” A tiny nibble, then a soft brushing of lips as those eyes, oh those eyes gazed into her, opening her up, making her bare all, making her examine what was in her heart.
“Lucian...” His name was but a whisper, a plea, a cry. She didn’t know what to do. To be mated was to be shackled, but he claimed he wouldn’t lord over her. Would welcome her open mind and fiery spirit.
“Tell me yes, sweet. Tell me you will be mine.” A kiss now, fully claiming her lips, no more teasing, no more nips, just soft sensuous, demanding lips that drove her mad and made a longing spring forth deep in her core. Before she could fully react he pulled away again, only by a mere inch and stroked her cheek with one thumb, then ran it over the very mouth he had just plundered. Then all at once, much to her shock and admitted dismay, he set her on her feet and leaned back in the chair, lids lowering to hide his thoughts.
“Think of what I can offer you, sweet. Yes there are ties, yes you will belong to me, but that is not a bad thing. Lord Arcos will ask you what you want, and if you hesitate than he will decide we should be apart. Once that happens, apart we will stay, for though I am being dishonorable now, I shan’t do it in the future. You will have to choose, Natalya, for I won’t seduce you into something you don’t want, nor will I go against my Masters wishes day after day. We shall be mated after he relinquishes his claim or we shall cease this dance.”
Bold words, some of which he did not mean, but he needed to get her beyond her fears. The doubts she was having were put there because of a man who had no idea how to treat her and who never saw her for the gem she was. He had said his piece and there was nothing left to say. Stealing kisses and forcing her couldn’t change how she was treated in the past. Only her trust in him and his actions in the future could erase that from her mind and make her see that he truly did mean every word
She stood there, staring at him, eyes huge, full of confusion; a hand pressed to her still burning lips, then shook her head as if to clear it and wrung out the rag she’d placed in the water. Moving before him, she knelt down, pushing his knees wide so she could get close, then began to gently wipe the blood from his forehead, moving down slowly, washing, dipping the cloth, wringing it out, and then washing again without a word.
He wanted to grasp her hand. To hold it to his chest, to make the moment last and last, but he let her move freely, one hand almost caressing his bare chest and arms, holding him ever so lightly as the other bathed his skin. She
proceeded to wash him; his arm, his neck, his abdomen, his side, then moved to the jagged pieces of skin where the stake entered his shoulder and wiped the blood away. Wringing out the cloth once more, she folded it into a small square and pressed it to the wound, effectively stopping the bleeding with her touch.
“The wood didn’t pierce you clear through, and the blood is stopping. You should be fine. I have a poultice to ward off sickness of the flesh and I shall make it up as soon as I am certain the bleeding has ceased. I truly thought it twas worse, but I was wrong.”
“It was, but I am healing even now. You know my kind can’t be killed as you can. My flesh mends. I shan’t need the poultice, though I thank you for your sweet care. By morn, or evening at the latest, my shoulder will bear but a scar.”
“So all of this was not needed? You are a lout.” Natalya raised her eyebrows making him grin. It was good to see her previous confusion had not dampened her fire.
“Did it not ease your guilt to tend me? Was I not a mess?”
“Tis true, but I still think you are a lout.”
“As always you wound my heart.”
She sputtered at him, words mumbled about sweet words that told tall tales, and backed away much to his dismay, picking up the bowl and moving to the slop bucket in the tiny chamber off to the side of her room.
“You can be going about your way now, Sir. Lord Arcos wishes to see you.” The words were said lightly but in all honesty Natalya dearly hoped Lucian wouldn’t be reprimanded for the evening’s events. As for the other though, the relinquishing of the Master’s claim and the trading of her to the vampire before her, Natalya was still uncertain. With Lord Arcos came a certain freedom; with Lucian came... other things both good and possibly bad.
“Can I not have a kiss to see me off? T’would mend my poor heart as surely as your touch has mended my arm.”
“Ever the gallant one.” She moved before him and made quick work of tying a bandage around his shoulder. Healing or not, it was best if the wound was covered until it was mended. “There, I am done.”
Beneath the Shadows of Evil... Treasured Page 17