The Bride and the Brute

by Laurel O'Donnell

  “Father,” she whispered, “how could you leave me here? Why would you give me to a man who wants nothing to do with me? A man who can’t love me?”

  The warmth of a single candle fluttered briefly, drawing her gaze. Jayce stepped toward the heat, hoping that somehow it would erase the sudden chill engulfing her body.

  “Perhaps your father didn’t want you, either,” a voice mocked from the doorway.

  Jayce turned unsteadily, recognizing the voice. She swiped at the tears on her cheeks and faced Morse as bravely as her trembling limbs would allow.

  Morse leaned against the door frame, eyeing her with an icy disdain. “Perhaps I was wrong as to how seductive you can be,” he snarled, taking a step toward her. “I thought that my brother’s heart was dead. I thought that he was made of stronger stuff. But when I saw the two of you locked in that sinful kiss, I knew he had succumbed to your wiles.” He circled her like a panther eyeing a frightened rabbit.

  Jayce stepped forward to leave the room, but Morse moved to block her path and she pulled back.

  “I think it’s time to end this farce, my lady,” he said bitterly.

  Jayce watched him warily.

  “Reese can’t love you,” he told her, “and he never will.”

  “It doesn’t matter whether he loves me or not,” Jayce insisted, knowing it was a lie. She realized with a jolt she had begun to care for Reese. To look at him as a friend. As more than just her husband. “I am his wife,” she said out loud, with more conviction than she had ever felt.

  Morse chuckled at her. “For the time being anyway.”

  Her confidence slipped a notch and she watched him warily.

  Morse walked around her to the desk. She didn’t turn to watch him, but heard the shuffling of papers. Dread slithered up her spine.

  Suddenly, he shoved a piece of parchment at her from behind. Jayce jumped, stifling a scream. She pulled the blanket around her neck, trying to seal off the chill creeping through her body, even as she reached for the parchment. She scanned the quickly stenciled letter... and froze. Her heart refused to beat. Her breath refused to come.

  “You see, Reese never intended to honor your marriage,” Morse hissed in her ear. “He doesn’t love you. He never will.”

  The castle rocked with a crash of thunder as Jayce’s heart shattered.

  The parchment she held was a letter to the king, requesting an annulment of their marriage.

  She crumpled the parchment in her fist, lifting tear-filled eyes to Morse. Her entire body was shaking, but it had nothing to do with fear. She tossed the balled-up parchment at him and the paper bounced off Morse’s chest, then rolled across the floor to rest back at her feet.

  Morse grinned a terrible grin.

  Jayce fled from the room, afraid that her pounding heart would burst from her chest if she didn’t move, if she didn’t do something. Anything. She just knew she had to get away from Morse, from Reese, from the castle.

  Morse’s horrible laughter followed her down the hallway.

  Chapter Twenty

  Reese raced through the castle, his search growing desperate. He pushed open the door to his study, his frantic hunt encompassing every room. He came to a halt as he entered the room, his eyes narrowing on his brother like pinpoints of light. Morse sat behind the large wooden table, his feet crossed on top of a pile of parchment. He had a strange grin on his face that sent a sinking feeling down into the pit of Reese’s stomach. Reese’s fists clenched; every muscle in his body tensed.

  Morse tossed a balled-up piece of parchment up and down in the air, catching it deftly with one hand. “All our problems have been solved, brother,” he said casually, laughing.

  Reese launched himself at Morse, grabbing his tunic and pulling him to his feet. The sheets of parchment on the table scattered in every direction. “Where is she?” he demanded.

  “Reese---” Morse began, the laughter gone from his face. “I---”

  Reese shook him hard. “If you’ve hurt her, I’ll kill you, you bastard.”

  Morse’s eyes rounded in shocked disbelief. “You said you didn’t care about her!” he exclaimed. “You said she meant nothing to you!”

  Reese shoved his snarling visage at his brother. “Where is she?”

  Morse gaped at him for a long moment, unable to speak. Finally, he said, “She left.”

  “Where, damn you?” Reese growled.

  “I don’t know,” Morse answered quickly.

  “What did you do to her?” Reese demanded. “Did you hurt her?”

  “No, I---”

  Reese shook him again. “What did you do?”

  Morse’s hand rose, palm up, displaying the crumpled ball of parchment.

  Reese’s eyes shifted to the paper. In the wadded-up mess that the parchment had become, Reese made out some of the words… imploring... kindly... annulment.

  Complete and utter dread swept through him. God’s blood! He lifted enraged eyes to his brother. Morse had shown Jayce the letter! An unbelievable rage consumed him, blinding him with its lashing ferocity. With a furious howl, Reese tossed Morse aside and raced out of the room.

  The storm outside had continued to lash the lands, only intensifying Reese’s sense of urgency. He ran to the main doors of the castle and threw them open. He stood stiffly as the rain pelted his face and the wind whipped his hair about his shoulders. His fingers curled into his palms. She was out there. Terrified. Alone. He had driven her away with his cold denials, his firm resolve against a loveless marriage. He cursed himself for a fool. He could never have thought that a woman forced on him could come to mean as much to him as Jayce did. Reese clenched his teeth and tossed his head back. “Jayce!” he shouted, as lightning ripped the sky.

  He moved forward, his tense gait turning into a full-fledged run by the time he reached the outer gatehouse. As he reached the road into the village, he paused to scan the countryside. The rain splashed his face, soaked his tunic. Where can she have gone? he wondered. She could be anywhere. He needed to search the surrounding lands quickly.

  Thunder boomed through the air. Then, his gaze settled on the fenced area housing Satan. He raced toward the beast’s lair before he had formed the thought to do it.

  He reached the fence, wiping the blinding rain from his eyes. But the gate was closed. His eyes searched the yard for the monster. The warhorse stood in the middle of the yard, the rain seeming to have no effect on him. His black mane was saturated, hanging down in thick strands. It was the first time he had ever been glad to see the beast.

  Reese climbed the fence, all but throwing himself over the top. He landed on his feet in the pen and approached the horse, determination clenching his fists. He needed a horse, and he needed one fast. The stables were back inside the castle grounds, closed up for the night. It would take too much time to return.

  Satan snorted and shook his head as Reese approached, water sloshing from his wet mane.

  Every instinct told Reese to make a fist and club the animal in the snout, demanding his obedience. But the memory of Jayce stroking the animal and speaking gently to it came to the forefront of his thoughts. Reese reached out to the horse’s mane, expecting the animal to try to bite him. But Satan didn’t move. “Good boy,” Reese told him. “Jayce is out there, and I have to find her.”

  Thunder exploded overhead and Satan skittered nervously, rearing back from Reese. “Easy, boy,” Reese quickly said, stroking the nervous animal’s hide. The horse calmed under his touch and Reese pulled himself up onto the horse’s bare back.

  Satan moved beneath his direction, toward the closed gate. Reese reached out and slid the rope off the end, kicking the gate door open with his foot. With a tug on his mane, and a gentle nudge with his foot, Reese guided Satan out of the fenced yard and onto the road.

  “Now let’s go find my wife,” he told Satan, and spurred the animal on.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Nicole passed the study and saw Morse sitting at the table, his head bu
ried in his hands. Parchment littered the floor. She paused in the doorway until he lifted distraught eyes to her. Apprehension swept through Nicole, and she entered the room, moving quickly to the table. “What is it, Morse?” she demanded. “What’s happened?”

  Morse shook his head and turned away from her. “I did what I felt was right.”

  Nicole scowled. Did he and Reese have another fight? “Morse,” she said kindly. “You know Reese loves you.”

  Morse pushed the chair back and rose. “It has nothing to do with that.” He looked at her, and Nicole was shocked at the suffering she saw in his eyes. “I thought he didn’t care for her. I didn’t know.” He dropped his chin to his chest. “I didn’t know.”

  “What did you do?” Nicole gasped, understanding instantly who he was speaking of.

  Morse didn’t look at her. “I showed her an annulment letter Reese had written.”

  Nicole’s mouth dropped open. “Oh, Morse!” she exploded. “What happened?”

  Morse shook his head. “She left.”

  “Left? Where?” Nicole’s stomach dropped. She grabbed his tunic in her fist. “Where did she go?”

  Morse shrugged. “I’m not sure. I don’t know.”

  Nicole released him and raced for the door, cursing his interference. If she had only had a little more time!

  “Reese went after her.” Morse’s words halted her.

  Slowly, Nicole turned to him. “Are you sure?”

  Morse nodded.

  Nicole returned to stand before him, nervously worrying her lip with her teeth. She sighed desperately. “This is all my fault,” she murmured.

  Morse’s brows furrowed. “It’s not your fault you were kidnapped.”

  Nicole began to chew on one of her fingernails.

  “It’s not your fault Reese was forced into marriage,” Morse added.

  Nicole ripped off the tip of her nail with her teeth, glancing at him. She spit the fingernail on the floor. “This is all his fault,” she whispered to herself. “If he wasn’t such a brute, there would have been dozens of women lining up to marry him.”

  Morse studied his sister dubiously. “What are you talking about, Nicole?”

  She stopped and faced him. “I wasn’t kidnapped,” she admitted.

  Morse frowned. “What do you mean you weren’t kidnapped? Reese received a ransom note. Specific instructions that if he didn’t marry Jayce---”

  “It was my idea. Cullen and I set up the whole thing.”

  Morse shot up out of his chair. “What?!”

  “We met a year ago at Tournament,” Nicole rushed on. “Cullen pointed Jayce out to me as she sat in the stands. She was beautiful and lively. When he told me she was spirited, too, I told him that Jayce was exactly someone Reese needed to keep him in line. That’s when Cullen mentioned he was looking for a husband for her. Well, at first I thought that for sure all Cullen needed to do was petition Reese to marry Jayce. But when that failed, Cullen and I came up with the kidnapping plan.” Nicole stared at Morse desperately. “I never intended anyone to get hurt.”

  Morse shook his head. “Oh, Nicole,” he gasped. “Reese is going to kill you.”

  She straightened slightly, indignantly. “Only after he kills you.” Nicole closed her eyes in anguish. “What did you have to show her that letter for?”

  “I thought I was doing us all a favor. Apparently I was mistaken,” he grumbled, lifting his eyes to meet Nicole’s. “Gravely mistaken.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Jayce huddled beneath a tree, her knees drawn up to her chest, her hands wrapped tightly around herself. She shivered as the wind picked up and whipped around her like a cold cape. Her body was saturated from the continuous rain. Her clothing hung heavily against her. Her dark hair was wet and weighty, forming a curtain of damp strands around her face.

  She sniffed again. She had wanted her marriage to work. She had done everything in her power to be loyal to Reese. Her body shook again, but it had nothing to do with the cold. She remembered the smile that lit his face, a smile that had melted her heart. She recalled the admiration in his eyes when she had stood before him on the field of honor. But despite all of this, he still did not love her. He still did not want to be her husband.

  Her trembling fingertips brushed her lips. His kiss had transported her to a realm of safety; his arms had encompassed her in a shelter of strength. It had been the only time the storm was completely out of her mind.

  Thunder ripped the sky and Jayce jumped, crying out. Sobs tore at her body; fear ate what was left of her heart.

  Lightning speared the ground nearby, and Jayce bolted to her feet. As she raced blindly through the night, the rain pelted her body like stones being thrown at an outcast criminal. Her dress hung on her, pulling at her shoulders. She tried to lift her skirt so she could run, but her hands were trembling so fiercely she couldn’t manage to keep hold of it. The material slipped from her hands and she tripped over the hem, plummeting to the earth amidst the crack of thunder. Her hands skidded along the ground through the slick mud, and she went down on her stomach. Jayce lay with her cheek to the wet earth, sobbing.

  Reese, her mind called. But she knew he would not come.

  She pushed herself to her feet, struggling to regain her footing. The wind lashed at her, sending strands of her wet hair whipping into her face, her eyes. She raised her hands to block the lashing of her hair and the rain.

  Suddenly, a roar filled her ears. The wind grew to Herculean proportions, pushing her around like a puppet. Jayce whirled to see a barrage of twisted, torn branches come flying through the air toward her as if nature herself had decided to attack with a swarm of arrows.

  Jayce screamed and covered her face with her arms.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “No!” Reese cried out as he saw the swarm of twisted, gnarled branches soaring towards Jayce. He sent Satan surging towards her and reached Jayce just in time to yank her out of the path of the deadly debris. The sharp-edged sticks shattered against nearby tree trunks, splintering into hundreds of pieces.

  Reese leapt from Satan and scooped Jayce into his arms, sheltering her from the roaring winds and battering branches. He held her tightly, clenching his eyes shut. With every beat of his heart, he prayed she was all right. He was afraid to look down into her face, afraid the little whirlwind of life would be gone.

  He held her against his heart. How blind had he been? How foolish that he couldn’t see how much she meant to him? That he couldn’t realize what a perfect wife she would make? That he couldn’t understand how much he loved her? A growl of anguish tore loose from his throat.

  “Oh, Jayce,” he whispered. “Forgive me. Please forgive me.” He kissed her cheek and her eyes. “I’ve been so stupid. So blind. I love you,” he moaned. “I love you.” He pressed a kiss to the side of her throat, to her chin, to her cheek.

  Then he felt her move. Her hand slid over his back, around his shoulder.

  Reese pulled away, gazing down into her face. Her skin was wet, and Reese tried to dry it with his tunic sleeve, but he quickly realized how useless that was a second after he ran the rain-soaked fabric across her cheeks.

  Jayce’s eyelids fluttered and then, like the sun emerging from behind a dark cloud, her eyes opened. She stared at him for a long moment with those deep blue eyes, her gaze moving over his face. Reese’s agonized stare drank in her beauty, her glorious lips, her wondrous eyes; he drank like a man who had been stranded in the desert and was suddenly given a flask of cool water to quench his parched throat. He bent and pressed a kiss to her forehead, then to her lips, murmuring, “Jayce. Oh, Jayce.” His arms engulfed her, drawing her closer. He coaxed her to open to his kiss and she obeyed. As he tasted the sweet recesses of her mouth, his blood pounded through his veins. His relief and frustration gave way to a fierce and fiery passion that consumed him.

  Her kiss swept him like the lashing winds of a storm; her hands swirled around him, pulling at his shoulders. But the
fury of these winds was something he never wanted to abate.

  Frantically, Reese pushed at her dress, sweeping it aside to reveal her glorious breast. He lowered his lips to the tip, licking and sucking it with an intensity beyond reason, beyond comprehension.

  Lightning flashed and sizzled all around them.

  Reese’s other hand traced the curve of her back, down to her rounded bottom, pulling her tight against him.

  Jayce groaned beneath his touches, running her hands through his wet hair, over his strong shoulders.

  Rain cascaded around them, splashing through the trees, drenching them.

  Reese eased her dress up, higher and higher until he touched her naked thigh and she gasped, touching his hand. The rain made the path slick and smooth, inflaming his already uncontrollable passion.

  He blazed a trail of hot kisses down her neck, over the soft ridge of her collarbone. In the next instant his passion rose to tidal-wave heights as he reached down and unlaced his leggings, freeing his manhood. He was burning with a raw want, a desire so desperate, that it boiled his blood, searing his very skin. He barely heard the clap of thunder, didn’t see anything but two round pools of blue staring at him with the same desire, the same passion. It was as if they were one.

  His hand moved across her womanly curves to the opposite thigh, reveling in the feel of her body. She instinctively arched toward his hand. Reese lowered himself to her, claiming her kiss-swollen, rain-wet lips in a final attempt at control.

  She groaned and squirmed beneath him.

  He felt her wetness against his manhood and moved forward to feel the heat of her core. He clenched his teeth, fighting a losing battle against the raging want threatening to sweep him away before he had claimed her. Then he thrust forward, driving into her. He felt her stiffen beneath him, felt the pain that pierced her body.

  Reese groaned softly in anguish at having caused her further hurt.

  Jayce moved her hips in a slow, tentative movement.