by Mya Larose
Yep! The bastard was out of his fucking mind. Her primary objective right now was to alert somebody. But how?
She came nose to nose with this small man. She was actually a little bit taller than him, she noticed with a grin. Deep down, she didn’t feel an ounce of fear. How dare he threaten her?
“You won’t be laughing any longer when I’m done with you!” he hissed.
She spat at his feet. “No man will speak to me that way. I’m not yours to take and use. I’m Suleyman’s bride. How dare you speak to me like that?”
She saw movements from the corner of her eye and realised that the rest of the soldiers were surrounding them. The sharp sound of metal being drawn from its glove grabbed her attention. Everything happened so quickly. Her startled cry died in her throat. Her eyes widened in shock as an evil-looking knife flashed before her eyes. The ice-cold metal rested against her throat, sending a wave of nauseating fear through her body. He grabbed a handful of her hair, twisted her, and flushed her against his chest. The dagger’s point was digging into her larynx.
Clawing at his forearm, she screamed, “Haaaa.”
He jerked the knife to her throat and she was quickly silenced. “Be still,” he hissed. “You’ll make it more difficult for yourself if you fret too much.”
She stiffened her spine and forced herself to maintain her composure. What could she do now? If she screamed, he would stab her. She had no chance of stopping whatever was about to happen. All she could manage was to pray for Suleyman to save her, and she did it fervently.
She then felt his putrid breath on her ear. “So you’re the wife-to-be of my dear nephew. Hmm, your aroma is heavenly.” He sniffed her. “Did you know that women like you disappear all the time and nobody can find them, nor care for them?”
Lara whimpered in pain as her hair was yanked roughly. The knifepoint remained against her throat, but she felt his other hand drifting over the front of her dress. He squeezed each of her breasts, his touch painful and clumsy as he cruelly twisted her nipples through the material of her dress.
“By God! You’re exquisite. You are going to have to come with me. If you please me enough, I might keep you to myself or sell you to a good master,” he snarled again.
She trembled silently and tried to remain calm, resigned to the fact that he would do whatever he wanted with her and that Suleyman would never know about it. He would think that she’d run away. Oh, God, please help her, she whimpered silently.
“No man will talk to my Kadin without my authorization, let alone touch her and get out alive,” Suleyman hissed from behind them.
“Oh, God!” she whimpered.
She almost wept with relief. She was going to be fine. Suleyman had come to her rescue. Abruptly, the Aga swirled them around, and she was facing Suleyman. She looked into his beautiful dark eyes. His expression was frightening. Lara noticed that the Aga’s soldiers weren’t around them anymore. They were cornered by Suleyman’s men at scimitar point.
Brusquely, she was thrown like a ragdoll to the side. She landed harshly on her hands and knees. Ali was trying to gather her in his arms but her legs wouldn’t cooperate. As soon as she could stand straight with the help of Anya, Ali pushed them behind him.
“Bring it on, Nephew!” she heard the Aga snarl at Suleyman.
She couldn’t see what was happening and took a step forwards before Ali pushed her back again.
“Please, Lara Kadin! Let his highness defend your honor as well as his,” he said through his clenched teeth.
Anya was also pulling at her. “Please, Kadin Lara, we are in some much trouble right now.”
Suddenly she heard metal clashing. Taking a glance from Ali’s side, she could see Suleyman with his scimitar held high. Salim stood in alert on the side, ready to jump in as soon as Suleyman orders it. He was clenching his fist around his scimitar rhythmically.
She didn’t want to watch but she couldn’t help herself. She winced every time their scimitars met with a loud clang.
The Aga’s scimitar flew from his clutches, along with his hand. She could see the Aga clutching his severed, bloody, lower arm. Oh, God have mercy on him! The scene in front of her was like something out of a scary movie. There was so much blood…
“Are you ready, Uncle, to meet your maker? By God, you have offended me, son of the sultan, third in line to the throne, and my bride.”
She had never seen Suleyman’s face like that. There was such fury that it made him look like the dark knight. She knew then that he was a deadly opponent for his enemies.
Clumsily, the Aga launched himself on Suleyman. She shook her head. His uncle was either brave or completely suicidal. Suleyman threw his weapon towards Salim, dived on his uncle with his fist first, and caught him full in the face. She stopped counting how many times Suleyman battered his uncle.
When Aga wasn’t moving anymore, Suleyman ordered, “Bring me my scimitar, now.”
Lara could hardly swallow. Was he going to kill him, in front of everyone?
He pointed the end of his scimitar to his heart. “Your punishment will be dealt. And may God save your soul.” She should have known better and sighed with relief.
He turned to his men. “Take him off my land. I want you to take him to my father. The sultan will decide if he can live or not.”
He leaned back over his uncle. “Don’t hold your breath, though, uncle.” Looking around him, he said out loud, “Let this be a warning to anyone who comes and threatens what is mine. Let my warning flow over to Izmir and to the capital.”
He threw his bloody weapon on the side and made his was way to her. She could see his breathing was calm but the vein on the side of his neck was dangerously pulsing. He shoved Ali and Anya out of his way. He then gently wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.
She could feel his sweet breath against her neck. “Do you see what you do to me? I was like a savage. I will kill in cold blood anyone who touches you, my love,” he murmured in her ear.
She nodded her head, her throat raw. “I do,” she croaked. “I’m sorry I forced you to hurt your own uncle.”
“I protect what is mine! And you, my little fox, had better start to listen,” he grumbled.
She took a step back and put her hands against his chest. “I’m sorry if I offended you with my excuses. I’m honored to have such a devoted future husband. And for the listening part?” She tapped him on the chest playfully. “I wouldn’t hold my breath.”
“May God give me patience then,” he sighed, and hugged her tighter.
Chapter 12
He settled himself on the divan in the day room. He felt like an old man. He leaned backwards on the cushions arranged behind him. While looking at the ceiling, he recalled the events of this morning.
His heart had nearly ceased beating when he saw his uncle with his arms around Lara, holding a dagger at his beloved’s throat. He had thought about his life without Lara. There would have been little reason to live if his uncle had carried out his plan to harm his beloved. She had brought such joy and light to his lonely and miserable existence.
He straightened up, leaned forwards from his seat, rubbed his face with both hands, and let out a long sigh. His emotions were such a big mess. How could a bit of a woman turn a man like him to a puddle? He didn’t try to conceal it anymore. His actions from this morning had shown to everyone that Lara meant everything to him and also that she was his weakest link.
During his service to his father, Suleyman had made deadly enemies from beyond his land as well as allies. His uncle’s attack was the beginning of what was coming their way, and he had to get his household ready for any kind of intrusion.
It was unheard of for women to manipulate weapons, but in their situation, he was going to train Lara in the art of self-defense and weaponry. He mentally began to list the main lessons he had to teach her. Nevertheless, his mind was always going back to the event that took place this morning.
To this day and for the rest of his l
ife, he would still remember the look on her beautiful face. Her expression had been a mixture of desperation, anger but also defeat.
With a heavy sigh, he got up and walked quietly down the hall and upstairs. He stopped outside of his chamber door for a second. His future bride was waiting for him behind those closed doors. As soon as they had dealt with his uncle and his guard, Lara had declared that she wanted to go to their chamber and wash away the filthy scent and touch of his uncle from her body.
He rolled his shoulder and sighed again. He had assured her that while she was in his household, nothing would happen to her. How wrong could he be? She was injured because of him. He looked at the door handle and gulped.
When he swiftly entered his chamber, the first thing he noticed was that his bedding was undisturbed and that the door of his privy room was ajar. He approached the door and gently pushed it. There she was, magnificent, her hair surrounding her face like a fire halo. She was lying on the sofa with her eyes closed.
Believing that she was sleeping, he slowly walked up to her and caressed her flawless face. He moved gently next to her, listening to the sound of her soft breathing. He kissed her tenderly on her neck, feeling her pulse. Slowly, his tongue moved down, tasting her warm skin. He stopped in the valley of her breasts.
He saw her long eyelashes flutter and her gaze landed on him. “Hey, handsome.” She smiled and held her arms up to him.
He pulled her into his arms. When he spoke, his voice sounded rough and crude, and he couldn’t take his eyes from the bruise at her throat. Taking a deep breath, he murmured into her hair, “Lara, beloved! What are you doing in here? Come, and we will cuddle in front of the fire, the way you like it, and talk about what happened today.”
“Have you finished with your cleaning? Is your uncle on his way to the capital?”
He kissed her hair again. “Yes, beloved! He’s on his way with chains around his feet and thrown over the rear end of a horse.”
She sighed. “To answer to your question about me being here—I waited for you to come back so we could go to the hamam together.” She slowly moved around and faced him. “There’s nothing to talk about, Suleyman. I was careless to go out without Anya or guards, and more so by wandering in the front garden,” she said tearfully.
His heart melted when he saw her chin wobbling, and then she cried, “I’m so sorry, Suleyman!”
He drew back and frowned deeply. “My uncle was a fool to think that he could come to my house and touch you,” he averred, wiping her tears. “He knows our traditions and customs. A man isn’t allowed to look at, let alone touch, another man’s wife. His actions of today were his last. My father will deal with his brother. Don’t fret anymore about him, he’s not worth it.”
“But what if your father gives him grace?” she asked softly, tears running down her cheeks. “He said that he was going to rape me and then sell me to another man. Men like him are crazy, Suleyman. He would come back,” she cried softly, throwing her arms round his neck and holding him close. “Suleyman, I’m so scared.”
Tightening his grip around her waist, he easily settled her on his lap and leaned her head on his shoulder. He did like this position. Lara called it cuddling. He had a duty to convince her that his uncle wasn’t coming back and that she had nothing to worry about, because from now on not a single soul, allies or enemies, would be able to put a foot on his land without his authorization.
“Hush,” he said softly, with a heavy sigh. “Not even a fly would dare to come to my land without me knowing about it. To you I might be the son of a sultan, but in this world I’m feared by my enemies and respected by my allies. I have killed and injured without hesitation, Lara. I’m ruthless when it comes to protecting what is mine.”
Lara lifted her head and looked at him in the eyes, her beautiful emerald eyes with red from her tears. She kissed him gently on his lips. “I love you,” she murmured softly.
This bit of woman was going to be his death. To lighten her mood, he grumbled, “Of course you love me! I’m the sultan’s son, and your Pasha.”
She laughed. “You’re very sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
He paused before answering, and looked at his beautiful Kadin and the love of his life. “Yes, because I love you too. I dreamed about you before you came to me. We are meant to be together, beloved.”
She nodded her head. “Yes, Suleyman. We are soul mates beyond time.”
Chapter 13
It had been over three weeks since he had severed his uncle’s limb and thrown him off his land. He was lying down on his bed, waiting for Lara. Tonight was their first night as husband and wife. He sighed with satisfaction.
It had been quite a fine ceremony, made even more so by the news that his uncle had been punished by the Sultan himself. Suleyman had a private audience with his father before the ceremony. He knew the kind of punishment his father was referring to. That’s why he had just bowed to his father without uttering a single word.
His name and honor had been cleaned as well as Lara’s. However, he didn’t want to talk about it in front of his beloved. So, the subject had been closed that day.
In his society, the most important event for a woman was her wedding. Preparations for this event had begun by working on her “trousseau.” With the help of his mothers, Lara had spent much of her time making bath towels, covers of different sizes, and other articles for her new home. Days before the wedding, all of his relatives and friends had decorated his home with items from the trousseau.
Of course he had to coordinate everything with his mothers’ help. He had to convince them that he’d bought Lara on the virgin slave market and that she didn’t have any relatives or belongings. He really disliked lying to them but he couldn’t tell them how Lara came to him.
At the beginning of the ceremony, his brothers, Salim and he had rode back to his house from their trip to the barber, where Lara and their mothers had waited for them. It was a tradition to take his bride to the wedding ceremony as well as having musicians playing traditional Turkish instruments such as reeds and drums while traveling to their destination.
Crossing his hands behind his head, Suleyman closed his eyes and recalled the first time he’d seen Lara in her wedding dress. She had looked to him like an angel sent to him by God. She was so beautiful and carried herself with such dignity, and it humbled him to claim her as his wife.
Her dress had been a long, velvet, red robe carefully embroidered with silver and gold designs and motifs. The colour had been in harmony with the colour of her flaming hair. Then her dress had been completed with a belt made from pure gold that had hugged her narrow waist, enhancing her ample bosom, and a red, square-shaped piece of cloth placed on her head and hung over her flawless face.
She had been such pure temptation. Her emerald-green eyes were the most captivating—they held intelligence and a gentle soul. When his manhood had begun to throb even harder, he had decided to focus his attention to his surroundings.
In a normal situation, an Imperial wedding wasn’t just a few hours in duration. Some of them lasted for weeks and were unbelievably lavish. He wasn’t going to wait that long for Lara to be his. Their audience had included the general public as well as the people of the court.
His thoughts evaporated when the door opened and there she was, his beautiful Caucasian woman with hair like a roaring flame, wearing a transparent robe made of a thin, light, mesh, cotton fabric. She was pushed into the room by the young virgin girls in with loud giggles.
“Don’t they realise that I’m not a virgin and we already had sex together?” she asked with a pout. “I don’t like being made a fool, Suleyman.”
He held his hand to her. “Now, my disobedient Hurrem, don’t let a hundred years of tradition darken our special evening. Trust me when I say they weren’t making fun of you. Bear in mind, in this era, being a virgin is literal, which means those girls that escorted you here have never even seen a naked man, let alone a man’s private parts.”
Her eyes widened in mock disbelief even as she drew a sharp breath. “Really! What should I have done back there?” Pointing her thumb behind her, she added, “Blush, maybe.”
“Nonsense, beloved. Stop your mockery and join me.” He smiled and held his hand out to her.
He saw her nibbling at her lower lip. The tiny hint of uncertainty he saw in her eyes made him hold his breath. She was such an amusing and vivacious person, but her hesitation towards him was troubling. She slowly approached him and took hold of his hand. He locked eyes with her and trailed his finger up her arm.
“I hunger for you, my beloved. From now on, I belong to you as well as you belong to me. From the beginning, I always told you I was your slave. I meant every word.”
He pulled her down to him, pressed his lips against her ear, and whispered, “You’re my weakness, Lara. Without you by my side, I would be nothing. A soulless body roaming this earth. You have my heart in the palm of your hand, Lara!”
She shook her head with a deep frown. “No, Suleyman. Our love is so strong, it pulled us together, even in time. Believe me when I say you’re stuck with me for the rest of your life,” she added with a cheeky wink.
He threaded his fingers through her opulent hair and closed his mouth on hers. A long, feminine groan filled the chamber as he explored the depths of her sweet mouth. His own breath sounded harsh as he wrapped an arm around her waist and laid her on top of him.
“God!” She panted against his lips as he flexed his hips against hers.
“Can you feel it, Lara? I want you so much!” he rasped. His manhood pulsed violently.
When she drew away from him, he reached out to her. He just wanted to touch her. But the little fox had other ideas. She straddled him and her fingers hungrily explored his chest hair. When her fingernails scraped the tip of his nipples, he groaned.