She tried to relax, but as silence gathered around her, her mind turned to nightmarish visions of what might come.
Chapter Thirteen
Dane walked into the donjon situated near the center of the castle and immediately two Daryk Ones moved from their posts by the main door and blocked Dane’s way.
“Who goes there?” one asked.
Dane wanted to yell that there wasn’t time for the formalities, the ceremonial aspects. These men knew him well. Instead, Dane gritted his teeth in impatience. “It is I, Dane of the Daryk Ones and supreme ally to our lord Armen Helnak.”
“Enter,” the other Daryk One said.
Dane passed the men and opened the door to the donjon. As he walked in, he didn’t expect to see the feudal lord standing at a window, starting out at nothing. The entryway was bare with no decoration on the walls or other personal items to make it appear more as a home. Usually Armen spent most of his time in the second and third floors of the structure, running his affairs from there. About fifty-five, the man didn’t have family left. He’d married twice, but both wives had died without producing an heir. Not likely that he would have had children. Walls surrounded the area, and the window only allowed fresh air into the donjon.
“My lord.” Dane stood at attention, his spine straight, his eyes planted on the wall above the other man in a sign of deference.
“Have you considered what will happen if I die before an heir is produced?”
Dane frowned. Funny this man spoke of the very thing Dane had been thinking. Still, it was a strange question. “No sir. I am concerned with battle at this time. I heard from Eryk Gauth that Drakus Fina’s minions are attacking up and down the frontier. He races to Bardannia Castle to save his woman.”
The lord turned and faced Dane. Women found the man handsome, but Dane couldn’t see it. Didn’t expect to understand. Tall, and almost big and strong enough to be a Daryk One himself, Armen Helnak presented a formidable picture. Dressed in much the same garb as a warrior, the overlord walked toward Dane.
“And what of your mate. I heard you have one.”
Dane nodded. “Yes, my lord.”
Though Armen was of a much higher class than his soldier, Armen bowed in politeness. “Much good fortune and children to your union.”
Dane bowed at the waist in deference. “Thank you. My lord—”
“You did not answer my question, Charger. What will happen to this castle when I die?”
Why did he want to talk about this now? “I had not thought of it.”
“I’ve made plans, Charger. You are to be my successor should I die. I wrote it into my will.”
Dane couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. He’d come in here expecting to discuss orders for the coming fight. “What?”
“If I should die in this battle or any other, you must promise to take over the running of this castle with the same spirit and hand that I have.”
He took a step forward. “No. Sir, I cannot.”
“You cannot, or you will not?”
The man before him had the power of life and death over Dane. Yet Dane had never known him to discipline unfairly or to exercise that death right. The Daryk Ones and the people of this castle respected Armen Helrak for his kindness and the firm hand that kept things running smoothly.
“I will not.”
“Is your mate worth dying for?”
“Of course. She is my mate.
“Is this castle worth dying for?”
“Yes.”
“Then you must promise to protect it if anything should happen to me. I would not ask you if I thought anyone else could do it. You are one of the strongest and most accomplished Daryk Ones I have ever known. I would not leave this castle or these people’s welfare to anyone but you.”
Dane didn’t know what to say, his gut twisted in knots at the very thought of it. “What brought this on, sir? You are ill?”
“No. I am as hardy as ever. I’m only asking this of you because I see great leadership within you. You killed the dragon this week single-handedly. Few men can do that, even if they are Daryk Ones. As a Daryk One, you are used to autonomy yet work as a team if you must. You…you have a keen intelligence for what the enemy will do next, and a vast understanding of what makes people follow a leader.”
Armen had always praised Dane’s skills, but this went over the top. “Thank you, my lord.” Dane swallowed hard. This order had come out of nowhere, but he knew he had to follow it. “You will marry and have children one day. There’s no reason for this.”
“Perhaps. And if that happens, then you will relinquish your title as my successor as feudal lord of Grimnald Castle. Before that, you will vow to take this order.”
“If I refuse?”
“You know I’d never have you executed, Dane, even though I could. I ask this as your friend.”
Taken like that, it made it even harder to refuse, but refuse it he did. “No. I cannot.”
Armen shook his head. “It is too late. You are successor. It’s in my will and testament.”
Anger rose sharply inside him. “You did this against my will.”
Armen’s smile spread across his face. “Yes. For I knew you’d refuse and then I would feel too guilty to put your name down in my will. Now let us speak of the attack that is coming.”
Dane marshaled the effort to stay on an even keel. One way or the other he’d convince Armen to change his will again. He wouldn’t take on the responsibility of this entire castle. But first things first. The castle and all its occupants must stay safe.
A loud knock came on the door. A voice said, “My lord!”
On alert, Dane pulled his sword and held it at the ready, his stance in front of Armen protective.
Dane heard Armen pull his sword as well. “Enter!”
One of the Daryk Ones who guarded the donjon burst inside. “Several villagers have come in from the south and said they’ve seen rogue Daryk Ones towing a trebuchet!”
“Damn the hells!” Armen cursed more vehemently. “Fuck them! We have boiling oil, rocks and all matters of destruction. Let them come!”
Dane took a deep breath, as ready for battle as he could be. This time, however, he didn’t feel as confident. His woman was in danger and that put an entirely different complexion on the entire situation.
With that in mind, he turned to Armen. “If they are towing a trebuchet, it will take them some time to get it through the rest of the jungle. We have a little time at least. I suggest we plan better strategy.”
Armen nodded. “You’re right, Dane.” He smiled. “And this is why you must be my successor.”
Dane’s heart thudded in his chest, his apprehension higher than it had ever been in his life. “We’ll talk about that later, my lord. I have another request.” He told Armen about rescuing Ketera from the beach and her father’s predicament.
Armen’s eyes narrowed. “You’re woman is Magonian?”
“Yes.”
“You would do anything for her? Protect her with your life? Shield her from any harm?”
“I would.”
“You are an honorable man.” Armen’s face transformed into a rare smile. “So be it. Perhaps this war had to come at some time. But not the way Drakus wants it, damn it.”
Dane nodded. “Time is urgent. May I send the Daryk One immediately for her father?”
“Of course. When you come back we must talk about how to win this battle.”
* * * * *
When the doorknob rattled and someone knocked, she almost flew off the bed. She stood there for a second before grabbing the dagger.
“Ketera, it’s me.”
She recognized Dane’s rough, husky voice immediately. She hurried from the door and unlocked it, pocketing the key. “Thank Magon.”
Relief sideswiped Ketera as Dane reached for her. He drew her into his arms, and she sank into security, for the moment forgetting the battle that may start soon.
“What’s happening out there
?” she asked as he drew back.
“Battle will come soon, but perhaps not until night. That’s the way Drakus operates. It makes sense. He wants to keep people off guard. In any case, we must be prepared for what comes. Come talk to me while I bathe.”
He walked to the bathing room.
She hesitated, at first embarrassed by the idea of watching him step into the bathing area. “Are you certain? I mean, about watching you bathe?”
He turned just as he reached the door of the bathing room. “Of course. Come.”
And she knew what happened next wouldn’t be a simple bath.
Ketera followed Dane, her face flaming. Why was she acting this way? She’d already had the most intimate experiences with him. Should bathing be any different?
Still, she walked into the room a mess, unable to stop the heat from overtaking her at the thought of watching him bathe. Such an intimate thing stirred passion in her, a fire that refused to be extinguished. Despite fear about the battle, she needed more connection with him and to forget the danger they faced.
“I’ve sent a man to Magonia. We should know shortly about your father. But it will take him at least a day to get across the ocean.”
“I know.” Impatience pushed her into making a sound of frustration. Before she could say anything, he continued with, “And it would take you at least that long to get there as well.”
Ketera echoed his sentiments. “Yes, but I want to be there now.”
“Of course you do.” His voice was soft with understanding, and it sent a sweet pang of need racing around in her body.
“This place is relentless,” she said.
“Relentless?”
“On Magonia all I had to worry about was the heat. Our houses are underground.”
“I heard that. And that it grows to one hundred and forty degrees during the day.”
“That’s in the summer. At night it goes down to one hundred. In winter it’s only one hundred during the day, and ninety-five at night. We can go outside during the winter for short periods.”
“Do you prefer that environment to Dragonia?”
She shrugged. “I can’t say. I haven’t seen anything but the jungle, have I?”
He nodded and scrubbed one hand over his jaw. “True. Perhaps someday I will show you the glaciers and deserts. Though perhaps you are weary of seeing deserts.”
“Very much so.”
She tried not to stare as he started to take off his breastplate, but slowly he stripped. First the breastplate and then the stained and torn tunic fell to the floor. Though his hair was matted and his body sweaty, the carved lines of his chest and arms stood out in sharp relief. She’d never seen a more magnificent man and it set her on fire.
He didn’t seem to notice her perusal as he dumped his boots in a corner and hurried to strip off his trousers. Every tight, amazing inch of his body caught her attention until her imagination turned to touching that body again. Tasting every inch.
He turned away and picked up his shaving tools. His back, a study in hard, undeniably masculine lines trailed down to his firm buttocks. She’d never become used to seeing this man naked.
“You’ve had a bit of beard since I met you,” she said, her mouth dry as she watched him slide the blade over his chin.
“I don’t like it too long. Should I cut my hair as well?”
“No!” she said almost violently.
He turned away from the water basin to look at her, a smile quirking one corner of his lips. “You don’t like that idea?”
“Your hair is…a glory.”
He smiled, grunted and turned back to shaving his face. “Glory. Sounds like a woman.”
Her turn to grunt. “Dane, you are so masculine. So rough and…” What else could she say but what she felt. “Amazing.”
He rinsed his face and dried it on a piece of linen. His smile when he looked at her lit his face from within. “Thank you. No woman has ever said such a thing to me.”
Imagining another woman sharing this ritual with him caused a streak of jealousy to pour through her. “Have you invited many women into your bathing room?”
He glanced at her, that cocky smile still in place as he turned on the spray and water flowed down over his body. “Not many. I take it you don’t like the idea I might have been with other women?”
Be honest. That’s all you can do. “No.”
He laughed. “That is a good sign.”
“Of what?” Doubt layered over perturbation in her voice.
“That you care about me.”
Not to be outdone, she put her hands on her hips and said, “And you care about me.”
He threw back his head and let the water soak his hair. He shook his head and the water sprayed. Heat blazed in his eyes, and the warmth she saw there made her heart pound. “I would die for you.”
That did it. Her heart expanded, opening to his in a way she couldn’t have imagined in a million years. She’d never believed a man would ever vow to lay down his life for hers, not in her entire existence had she imagined a devotion this powerful. Until she met Dane.
Tears gathered in her eyes and she spoke the truth. “And I would die for you.”
His eyes went animal, feral with heat. “Let us celebrate it.”
As he lathered soap over his body, she found her mouth hanging open. She wanted to be the water. The soap. His hands traveling over each sculpted, rock-hard muscle.
When he saw her staring at him, he said, “Come help me bathe.”
“I just washed.”
His eyes turned warm, the red flame beginning to flicker. “Help me.” Husky with seduction, his voice sent warmth traveling all over her body. “Please.”
How could she refuse when her very breath seemed to rely on completing this request?
Refusal hovered on her lips, a modesty she couldn’t deny working to the forefront. Craving exploded inside her and refused to wait silently. She wanted him and wanted to know more about this wonderful thing called sex.
She drew her clothes off slowly and watched him watching her. Desire turned his eyes a golden red, like the mysterious carn animal that wandered the deserts of Magonia and killed only at night. With a whiskered face and sharp claws the huge carn took no prisoners. Neither did this man. She couldn’t deny the desire in his eyes, and as she undressed, she took in how he appreciated her. His nostrils flared, his pupils dilated. His lips parted. She worked with that desire, feeling her female power rushing through her body like a rogue wave crashing upon the shore. Like the wave that had taken down her ship. She wanted him helpless under her touch and craving her more than any other woman. In his eyes, she also saw a sadness she didn’t understand and she feared it. It also made her want him with a heat she couldn’t suppress.
As proof of her potency, his cock hardened, full and thick and long. No doubt about it. Dane wanted her in the worst possible way. She savored the wave of self-confidence it gave her. Along with this knowledge came her own desire, an ache of need deep between her legs.
Naked at last, she strode into the spray of water and allowed him to encompass her in his arms. As water cascaded over her, she clutched at his shoulders and held on for dear life. Before she could speak, he kissed her. Just like that, he wiped all else from her mind. Dane’s kiss held desperation—as if he wanted her to forget everything but what they had in this moment. His skin was hot, soft skin over metal hardness, a delight to female senses. A man with substance in both body and soul. She hadn’t known him long, yet she’d known him forever. Her heartbeat quickened as his hands traveled her body, sliding soap over her skin from buttocks to shoulders. She’d never imagined making love to a man in a bathing room before, but it seemed as if her imagination had been very limited. She, who thought she’d understood the sexual descriptions in the texts, now knew she hadn’t known as much as she believed. From that moment forward, she closed her eyes and just felt.
His hands traveled her body, paths untouched and those he’d explored
previously. No hesitation remained inside her—she knew they’d tour ground she’d never considered before. It scared and thrilled her all at once. His mouth found hers, tongue seducing tenderly. Suddenly, urgency found them, and she couldn’t stop shaping him with her palms, touching him in ways that demanded more. Now. It must be now. He cupped her buttocks then his middle finger touched between the crease. She started and tore her mouth from his.
In his eyes she saw the question and immediately knew the answer. Before she could speak, he teased her back entrance with a tickling touch. She laughed softly and wriggled.
“Dane?”
“Only if you want it.”
She knew he did, the desire hot upon him, filling his eyes with a glow that hypnotized her. “Yes.”
“We will go slow. If at any time I hurt you—”
“You never could.”
Ketera knew it the way she knew her own name. She closed her eyes and threw her head back while he continued to explore. With gentle testing he inserted his finger deep, and the pleasure she remembered tingled inside her lower belly. He pushed that finger in farther then drew it out, beginning a steady rhythm that mimicked sex.
His mouth trailed over her cheek and found her neck. Tingles raced up and down Ketera. She moaned, her breath coming shorter and shorter as arousal kidnapped her. In and out. In and out. His finger slid back and forth easily. Finally he drew it out, and for a moment she feared he’d leave her frustrated. No. He edged another finger inside and thrust. Two fingers spread her open, and she gasped as he worked them gently, tutoring her flesh. He removed his fingers slowly and then proceeded to rinse soap from their bodies. He backed her against the wall as the water continued to cascade down upon them.
He cupped her ass in both hands. “Put your legs around my waist.”
As he lifted her, she circled his waist and his cock slid into her pussy in one smooth thrust. She gasped as his broad length spread her walls, the ache deep within her rising high with one stroke then another.
She grabbed his shoulders as her eyes locked with his. The intimacy surprised her, shocked her down to the very core.
“Dane.” Her voice sounded soft to her own ears, breathy with passion.
Daryk Hunter Page 17