by Donna Grant
It was a dangerous game she played, but one she couldn’t seem to shy away from.
Cade guarded Wolfglynn and her people day and night. No one ever saw him unless he wanted to be seen, which was never. She wasn’t sure how she had managed to come upon him that morning.
Her fingers dug into the stones as she recalled his golden locks that hung to his shoulders in thick waves. His skin was darkened by the sun, making his blue eyes shine brightly. She longed to run her fingers along his square jaw and chin to his wide mouth.
He was tall and broad shouldered, which made his light brown tunic and jerkin mold to his muscular chest and arms. His dark breeches were snug against his powerfully built legs. He was an amazing specimen, but it wasn’t him or the darkness that surrounded him that gave her pause. It was his weapons.
A large, curved dagger was strapped to his hip, with another smaller dirk tucked into the top of his right boot. On his back, crisscrossing scabbards held duel swords unlike anything she’d ever seen.
The handles were nearly white, showing the smooth lines of ash wood, and adorned with silver guards and pommels. The blades weren’t as long as most swords and curved ever so slightly, but the way he held the knives, it was obvious he knew how to wield them with deadly quick precision.
She took in a deep breath and stilled as she saw movement in the forest. Her heart beat faster, and she thought of going to him. Would he allow her to find him again? Would he talk to her?
Francesca made herself turn away from the trees. She would only hurt Cade more if she couldn’t fight the desire to be near him. But, oh, the feel of excitement that rushed through her when she’d come upon him.
She had been afraid to move, afraid to speak for fear that he would disappear. And he had, but not before answering her questions. He had been as surprised as she was at finding him, and the roughness of his voice told her that he hadn’t spoken in a very long time.
Chills raced along her spine. He watched her still.
And she loved it.
You can’t.
But if only she could....
Chapter Three
Cade couldn’t seem to help himself. His gaze sought Francesca whether he wanted it to or not. He found himself contemplating what she and Drogan spoke about atop the battlements. Could it have been him?
He wondered what the witch thought of him. Had he frightened her? She hadn’t appeared scared, but then again, she hadn’t gotten close to him.
Cade needed to patrol the forest, but he couldn’t tear his gaze from Francesca. As soon as she had entered the castle, he had scanned the battlements, hoping for a glimpse of her.
Her courage surprised him. Most who entered the forest cast nervous glances around in the hopes of not seeing him. But not the witch. She had sought him out. Yet, just as with Drogan, he couldn’t allow himself to speak with her again. Too much was at stake for him to ruin it because her beauty and grace called to him as nothing had before.
When she walked from the battlements, disappearing from his view, he made himself turn and patrol the forest as he did many times each day. Even as he did, his mind wandered to Francesca. She hadn’t seemed uneasy in speaking to him—it was almost as if the darkness hadn’t affected her.
His steps slow and measured, he looked at the ground, the trees, and the sky for any signs that Nigel had arrived. Nigel was a crafty arse. He would send spies ahead of him to scope Wolfglynn before he attacked.
Cade had been ready for the assault for months. He was itching for a fight, but more than that, he wanted to battle Nigel before the darkness took him completely.
He paused and knelt to study a track in the dirt. It was a wolf, but larger than the pack that had the run of Wolfglynn. Prickles of apprehension stole down his spine. Cade needed to find the wolf quickly.
Cade straightened and followed the tracks for hours. The pawprints circled the castle several times. In a few places, he found the tracks deeper where the wolf had paused and stared at the castle.
Anger ripped through Cade, making the darkness roar to be free. He fisted his hands and tamped down the evil that resided in him. He was angry at himself for not learning of the wolf earlier, but if he wasn’t careful, the darkness would take hold of him, and everything he sought to protect he would kill.
Cade took in several steadying breaths before he turned once more to the tracks. They disappeared as suddenly as they appeared, and they were fresh. Very fresh. Which meant the wolf was still in the forest.
Wolfglynn had water to her back and rolling hills that gave way to the forest. The woodland itself was thicker on the right side of the castle. And it was large, extending well past the boundaries of Drogan’s land.
Cade continued through the trees, searching for more tracks. Wolfglynn had a pack of wolves. The castle always had, which was where it got its name. In all the years, no one had been attacked by the wolves, and no one was allowed to hunt them. Drogan’s people let the occasional sheep kill go, and they were compensated by Drogan when they did.
Over the decades, however, the pack had grown smaller and smaller until Cade feared there would be no more wolves in England. His gaze spotted one of the larger tracks at the same time he heard the laughter of children.
“Shite,” he murmured as he started for the youngsters.
His legs pumped faster, and his strides grew longer. The trees flew by him in a whoosh. His only thought was getting to the children in time, because he had no doubt the wolf he tracked had been sent from Nigel.
The thought of the children dying pushed him even faster. He spotted the group of kids just inside the forest, their laughter ringing in his ears. He was nearly there. He was going to reach them before the wolf.
And then he spotted something off to his left.
Cade glanced and saw the large black wolf. He reached back and withdrew his blades as he began to yell at the children. A woman was with them. She looked up and let out a scream as she spotted the wolf.
Cade’s lungs burned, but he dared not slow, for if he did, that would mean the death of the children. He couldn’t have that added to his conscious.
What is one more death?
He tamped down the darkness that urged him to give into the evil.
“Nay,” he bellowed as he launched himself atop the wolf just before the beast jumped on the children.
Cade landed hard and rolled to his feet. He faced the wolf, which stood growling at him, its long fangs dripping with saliva.
“You won’t kill them,” he said to the wolf.
The wolf’s lips peeled back as he growled and hunched low.
Cade grinned. It was a fight he had been hungering for. The fight would feed the darkness, but it would also lessen its hold on him for a few days.
He swung his knives in front of him. “You want to sink your teeth into something? Try me.”
The fur on the back of the wolf’s shoulder rose. It was a big animal, nearly twice the size of the other wolves on Wolfglynn land. But Cade knew who had sent it. He knew what drove it.
The wolf leapt at him. Cade lifted his knives and raked them under the animal’s belly, simultaneously ducking to avoid the wolf’s claws. Cade whirled around and saw the animal limping before he let out a snarl. This time, when the wolf attacked, he leapt for Cade’s face.
Cade spun to the side, but not before the wolf’s claws scraped down his back. Cade hissed and slung his arm back. He smiled when his blade sunk into the fur and the animal let out a yelp of pain.
The wolf released him and hobbled to the side. Cade focused on the pain of his wounds instead of the darkness that demanded he give in to the need to kill. Only once before had he ever given in, and the act still haunted his dreams.
The animal was badly injured, but he would continue to fight until he was dead. Cade took a step toward the wolf, but the beast turned its gaze to the children. Cade made the mistake of looking at the group. The children huddled around the woman, all of them staring in horror. But it was
the fiery‐haired beauty behind them who caught Cade’s attention.
The wind had begun to pick up, and the sky darkened with the storm that had been brewing over the water for days. He turned his back to Francesca and focused on the wolf. Cade twisted his blades in unison and took a step toward the animal.
The wolf growled and lunged at him. Cade leaned to the side while the beast’s teeth missed his leg by breaths. Cade stood his ground and waited, impatient to kill the animal. The wolf lunged again, and this time, his teeth sunk into Cade’s thigh.
Cade let out a bellow and plunged both knives into the wolf. The wolf instantly released him, throwing back its head and howling in pain. Cade pulled his weapons out and staggered backward.
He expected the wolf to attack again, but when Cade looked up, the black wolf was surrounded by Wolfglynn’s pack. Their growls at the wounded intruder let him know the black wolf wouldn’t live for very much longer. Cade turned to the group behind him.
“Get them to the castle,” he bellowed at Francesca and the other woman.
Cade spotted Drogan and his men riding hard toward the forest. Cade slipped behind a group of trees and made sure Drogan was occupied with getting the children to safety.
The growls, barks and yelps of pain from the black wolf consumed the forest as the pack attacked. Blood ran down Cade’s leg in thick rivulets, and his back ached. He would have to see to the wounds before he could resume his patrol of the forest. Because Nigel never sent just one.
Cade cleaned off his knives and returned them to their scabbards before he started to make his way to the sea. There was a cave he used to store supplies. It also came in handy when the weather grew too harsh.
He was halfway to the cave when he felt the prickle on his skin.
Francesca.
He stopped and turned to face her. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“You’re injured. I can help.”
Cade shook his head. “You need to return to the castle. It’s not safe in the forest.”
“The wolf is dead. Please. Let me tend to your wounds, and then I will leave.”
He opened his mouth to respond when he heard a horse. Cade grasped Francesca’s hand and pulled her toward him where he flattened her against a tree.
Lust burned his blood at the feel of her soft body against him. One of her hands gripped his shoulder while the other rested over his heart. It had been so long since he had held a woman in his arms. Even the times he sought out a woman to relieve his body, he always took her from behind so she faced away from him.
Yet now, the one woman who mesmerized him was in his arms, his face inches from hers. The pulse at her neck beat wildly as she lifted her tawny gaze to his.
“Ca—”
He put his hand over her mouth to stop her words. Whoever was in the forest wasn’t friendly, and Cade refused to let anything happen to her.
Her breath fanned the back of his hand. Unable to stop the desire pumping through him, Cade moved his hand until only his thumb rested against her plump lips. The need to kiss her, to taste her, was...overwhelming and painful. He couldn’t remember the last time he had kissed a woman, and he wasn’t sure he knew how anymore.
His thumb caressed her bottom lip, causing his balls to tighten and blood to pound in his ears. He wanted her with a ferocity that rivaled the need to kill Nigel.
Lightning streaked across the sky seconds before thunder boomed. Cade’s breath caught in his throat when Francesca’s fingers gripped him. He needed to get her to the castle and out of the storm, but he couldn’t make his body move. Now that he felt her soft curves, he never wanted to let her go.
Kiss her. Just one taste, just one touch.
It was all he wanted. Just one taste. His head lowered until their lips were nearly brushing. Her magic washed over him, making his skin quiver and his heart quicken. And then he realized that if her magic could affect him, his darkness could affect her.
Cade jerked out of arms.
Her brow furrowed. “Cade?”
“Come,” he said and took her hand as he raced toward the cave.
They had gotten just a few steps when the sky opened and the rain fell in such thick sheets that he couldn’t see where he was headed. He knew the path well enough to make it blindfolded, but he slowed because of the rocks and Francesca’s skirt.
By the time they made it into the cave, both were drenched. Cade set about starting a fire from the stack of wood he kept in the cave. There was enough wood to last for three days, but he knew he wouldn’t last three heartbeats being so near Francesca.
“The storm rolled in quicker than expected,” she said.
He glanced up from the fire to see her standing in the entrance, her arms wrapped about herself. She shivered slightly in the sea breeze.
Cade rose to his feet and retrieved one of the blankets. He walked to her and held the blanket out. “There are more if you need them.”
She looked from the blanket to his face. “And you?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“I need to see to your injuries.”
He shrugged. “You need to get out of your wet clothes before you catch a chill. Drogan and Phineas will have my head.”
“Drogan’s uncle knows I can take care of myself.”
Cade had no doubt, but he said nothing. Finally, she took the blanket and walked toward the back of the cave. It took everything Cade had to turn his back to her instead of watching her, or helping her, remove her wet gown.
He inhaled through his mouth and concentrated on breathing instead of pulling her into his arms and kissing her, touching her...tasting her. By God, he had never known anything so torturous as to have the one thing he wanted above all else near to him, yet not be able to have her.
If only he had said no to Nigel. If only he had found a way to freedom, he might have been able to pull Francesca into his arms and not worry about the darkness affecting her. If only he could battle the darkness as Drogan and Gerard did, then maybe he could have a taste of happiness.
You don’t deserve happiness.
And God forgive him, it was the truth. Nigel wasn’t the only one who needed to die. He did as well.
Cade heard the rustle of material as Francesca removed her gown. He fisted his hands and stared unseeing into the rain, imagining her body bared to him. Her lips turned up in a smile as her arms rose to welcome him.
He pictured her body, warm and willing and open to him. She would be wet, her arousal filling his senses. He would slide into her heat, thrusting into her soft body until she screamed his name as she peaked.
Cade’s body was covered in sweat just thinking about Francesca. He shook with the effort to keep looking to the sea, to not touch her. But what if she came to him? What if she tried to touch him? It would be too much. He was on the edge already, and she would send him over.
“Yes, yes. Yes!” the darkness clamored. “Let her loosen us.”
Nay, Cade screamed inside his head.
He smelled lilacs and knew she had drawn closer to him. He yearned for her touch like the ground craved water. But he could not give in. For her sake as well as his.
“There’s food and water for you.”
“Cade?”
She was so near. All he had to do was turn around, and he would find her. He had already given in and touched her lips, but he dared not do more. One more touch would snap his control, and the fact she wore nothing but a blanket now made his lust surge through him, made his blood pound in his ears.
“I’ll return later,” he said and stepped into the rain before he could wrap his arms around her.
Chapter Four
Francesca watched Cade disappear into the storm. The lightning continued to flash across the sky, and she knew he had left his only shelter because of her.
And she hadn’t tended his wounds.
She tugged the blanket tighter around her. Unable to stop shaking, she made her way to the fire and sat near it, letting the flames warm her.
He was a warrior.
The darkness that surrounded him had been evident while he battled the black wolf, but he had held it in check. It wasn’t until he had touched her lips and brought her to the cave that she had seen him waver against the darkness.
Her reaction to his body surprised her. Her nipples ached, and the fluttering in her stomach had yet to go away. Her breasts had swollen the moment his body pressed against hers. His hand on her mouth had been feather light, and when his thumb had moved over her lip, the caress had sent chills racing over her heated skin.
All thoughts of the wolf and the weather had vanished when she looked into his vibrant blue eyes. He had nearly kissed her. Her breath had locked in her lungs as she silently begged him to touch his mouth to hers.
She had seen Drogan and Serena kiss. There was passion and desire in a kiss, but it could be so much more. And she wanted Cade to be the man who kissed her, the man who made her feel as a woman should.
Francesca tucked her legs against her chest and rested her chin atop her knees. With the blanket wrapped around her and the fire blazing, warmth soon cocooned her. Her mind was never far from Cade, though. Seeing how he wielded his weapons let her know that Drogan hadn’t exaggerated when he’d said Cade was the best he had ever seen. Cade had shown no fear in battling the wolf. In fact, he’d seemed to enjoy it.
She shivered as she imagined what would have happened had Cade not been there to stop the black wolf. His blades had whipped through the air as if they were an extension of his arms. And his eyes had glowed with a light that grew brighter as the battle went on.
Was that the darkness?