The Fall of The Wolf (Historical Romance)

by Lynn Coppersmith

  Beneath his gaze, Eleta felt her mouth go suddenly as dry as a desert. Though appearing outwardly calm, Eleta was shaken to her core. All her education and training had not prepared her for what she would feel while dealing with this man. He had always been just some faceless enemy, a theoretical foe to be vanquished. Yet in person, he was so much more. He was steely muscle and hard bone, sculpted into the most tempting form imaginable. He made her feel desirable and irresistible. When his eyes ran over her body, heat welled beneath her skin, and she found it difficult not to squirm self-consciously while he looked his fill. Remembering the moment he had pleasured her against the library door, Eleta felt her nipples tighten, until they were achingly hard nubs. She had never imagined that his touch would bring such ecstasy and yet leave her wanting so much more. Of a sudden, she could not draw a deep enough breath.

  Eleta leaned toward him as she held out the flask invitingly. “You must be thirsty. Here.”

  He reluctantly kept his gaze away from her bosom as he reached for the flask. His fingers brushed lightly against hers, and Eleta shivered with awareness. She could imagine his fingers brushing against her naked breasts in exactly that way, and she remained frozen as she watched him lift the flask.

  “Thank you, your Majesty.”

  His voice was a soft growl. He tipped the flask and took a deep draught, his eyes never straying from her as he did so. He lowered the flask and gave a satisfied sigh as he returned it to her. Once again, his fingers brushed hers in a stealthy caress. Eleta swallowed hard, shocked to discover that such a simple touch could affect her so deeply. She leaned back in her seat, and his eyes finally rose to meet hers.

  “Now,” he said, “would you mind telling me what is going on and where you are taking me?”

  Eleta blinked as if she were coming out of a trance. She was irritated that he had managed to rattle her so thoroughly. She raised her eyebrows and gave him an arrogant glance.

  “You will find out soon enough,” she said dismissively.

  “I’ll find out now,” he growled. “By what authority have you kidnapped me from my own castle?”

  “I said that I wanted to take you somewhere more private. Are you missing your betrothed so soon?” the queen needled.

  “I didn’t know you intended to abduct me to gain privacy,” he snapped, feeling a tiny twinge of guilt as he realized he hadn’t given his fiancée even a moment’s thought. “And what of your own betrothed, your Majesty? Does he know that you are here with me?”

  The queen appeared equally disconcerted. “That is none of your affair,” Eleta said with a huff.

  “I suspect the duke would find it very much his affair,” Rafe replied hotly. “I know that if you were my own betrothed, I would kill any other man for seeing or touching you the way you have allowed me to do.”

  Rafe was somewhat gratified to see Eleta blush hotly. Still, he felt every bit as remorseful about his own lewd behavior. To hide his embarrassment, he glanced out the window for the first time and noticed that the sky was beginning to darken and turn purple with advancing twilight. He frowned in confusion. The terrain was mountainous and completely unfamiliar. The coach was climbing ever higher up a steep slope. A flutter of uneasiness settled in his gut. He eyed the queen suspiciously.

  “How long have I been unconscious?”

  “Almost twenty four hours,” she stated with a small shrug.

  It took a moment for her words to sink in before Rafe sat bolt upright. “Twenty four hours?” he roared. “How hard did your henchman hit me?”

  Eleta flinched slightly and looked at him with something akin to guilt. “Not that hard,” she replied. “You would have woken up within moments had we not given you a sleeping tonic.”

  “That is the last straw,” he muttered. He pinned her with a threatening scowl. “Queen or no queen, you had better start giving me some answers, ma’am. What is going on?”

  Eleta was not accustomed to taking orders, and she gave him a haughty stare. “We will reach our destination by tomorrow evening,” she stated firmly. “All will be explained when we get there.”

  “Am I under arrest?” he asked.

  “Of course not.”

  “Then I demand to be released, your Majesty.”

  “I am afraid that is not possible,” she replied. “I require your assistance in a matter of the upmost importance. I therefore require your attendance.”

  He frowned at that. “What matter of upmost importance?”

  “As I said, all will soon be explained.”

  “For how long will you insist on my presence?” he demanded curtly.

  “Until I dismiss you,” she snapped.

  His impatience and frustration were apparent in his indignant tone. “You forget, your Majesty, that you have no authority over me. Although you are my sovereign,” he paused to execute a deep, mocking bow, “you do not have the power to command my attendance at your whim. Now, I demand to be released!”

  The queen laughed, but it held no humor. “You will be released when I am ready to release you, and not a moment before. For now, I require your services.”

  “For what purpose, ma’am? Has there been some sort of attack upon Aglaia?”

  “No,” Eleta said with a frown.

  “Has there been a threat against you personally, your Majesty?”

  Eleta sighed and rolled her eyes. “No, of course not.”

  “Well, can you give me some indication of why you have abducted me?” Rafe said impatiently.

  Eleta pursed her lips, considering him thoughtfully. “All I can tell you for now is that I have a very special task for which I need your assistance. You will have to be satisfied with that for now.”

  “Why couldn’t you simply ask if you required my help? I have always been a staunch supporter of your Majesty, and I would willingly lend whatever assistance you require.” He pinned her with a peeved frown. “But I prefer to be asked rather than being tricked, ambushed and abducted like some sort of criminal!”

  “I have already apologized for the way I tricked you, your Grace. If there had been another way, I would have spared you this…unpleasantness. However, I had to ensure your cooperation by any available means.”

  Rafe looked out the window, grinding his teeth as he debated his options. There were a dozen or so of the queen’s guardsmen riding alongside the coach. Clearly, there was no chance of escape at the moment. His mind reeled with the possibilities of what she might want from him. He had always been able to get women to do what he wanted with a bit of persuasion. Perhaps it was time to direct his considerable charm and expertise toward the queen. He could continue to argue with her, or…

  Rafe pinned the queen with his hypnotic green stare. She swallowed, feeling a bit like a hare being chased by a hungry wolf. He let his eyes wander over her, lingering on her hips and breasts. Eleta could imagine what he was thinking. Images of herself beneath him, her legs wrapped around him as he plunged into her body, flashed in her own mind. As a result, her cheeks flamed, and her eyelids dropped to conceal the uncertainty she knew would be visible in her eyes.

  “Your Majesty, I confess to being shocked that you used yourself as bait to trap and abduct me,” he murmured. “If you have some reason why you require my…services…I will gladly render any assistance you require. I simply request that you explain what it is you want from me.”

  His voice was a husky caress, and his tone conveyed a very suggestive and sensual meaning to his words. Eleta shivered slightly. All her lessons had focused on how to seduce a man. None of them had taught her about the pleasure of being seduced. She suddenly wondered who was really in control of their interaction.

  Before she could formulate an appropriate response, she heard the commander of the guardsmen call for a halt, and the coach rattled to a stop.

  “We will continue this discussion later,” the queen murmured.

  Eleta donned a thick fur lined cloak and pulled a heavy hood over her head just as Sir Eric opened the
door of the coach. The guardsman gave her a searching glance and then shot a glare toward Rafe. Without another word, the queen accepted the commander’s assistance and made a graceful exit. Two more guards appeared in the doorway and signaled for Rafe to follow. He alighted and was quickly surrounded by six of the guards. He had no choice but to fall in behind the queen as she led the way into a small inn.

  They waited just inside the entrance as Sir Eric made discreet inquiries from the owner of the inn. Queen Eleta kept her face averted, and Rafe realized that neither the owner nor the other patrons knew they were in the presence of the queen. He briefly thought about making a scene. However, he decided against it because he doubted it would do any good, and he was curious to find out her purpose. If she truly needed his help, he did not want to jeopardize her cause.

  The guardsman returned and led them upstairs to the nicest suite of rooms in the inn. The accommodations were far inferior to what either Eleta or Rafe was accustomed to, but they were immaculately clean and comfortably furnished. There were two bedrooms, one on either side of a small parlor that also served as a dining room. As one of the guardsmen lit a fire and then went into each of the two bedrooms to light oil lamps, Rafe noticed that there was also a small bathing area tucked behind a tall panelled screen.

  The queen signalled for a small trunk of her belongings to be deposited in one bedroom. Rafe was obviously meant to take the other room for himself. The queen turned aside for a quiet word with Sir Eric.

  “I should like to have some time to refresh myself before dinner. Please arrange for our meal to be served in one hour.”

  “Yes, your Majesty.”

  Sir Eric executed a deep bow. He shot Rafe another glare before exiting the suite of rooms. Rafe wondered idly what he had done to win the man’s obvious disapproval. After all, the guard had attacked him, not the other way around. Rafe noticed as Sir Eric exited that two of the other guards remained posted just outside the door. When he and the queen were once again alone, the queen turned to him with a smile.

  “Make yourself comfortable, your Grace.” She waved toward his bedroom. “If you would like to change clothes, you will find a few necessities have been arranged for you.

  Rafe gave her a puzzled frown and wandered to the door of his bedroom. A full outfit had been laid out on his bed, and he was shocked to see that the garments were some of his own. There was a small case open on the dresser, and he recognized even more of his clothes were neatly packed inside. He turned a questioning look back to Eleta.

  “How is it that you have managed to acquire some of my clothes, your Majesty?”

  Eleta gave an amused chuckle and waved her hand in dismissal. “It was nothing. I merely thought you would appreciate having a few things to wear during our journey.”

  Rafe was anything but satisfied with her answer. She had obviously planned his abduction down to the last detail. He wondered yet again what her ultimate purpose was. It was more than scandalous that she should pass a night alone with him, even if they were meant to sleep in separate rooms. If it became public knowledge, her reputation would be ruined, regardless of the fact that she was the queen. He wanted to know why on earth she would risk such a thing, especially when she was betrothed to another man. If she was interested in him, why had she refused his petition to meet her? Why did she feel she had to abduct him, when she could have simply sent him an invitation, and he would have gladly responded?

  Eleta smiled at him innocently. “Why don’t you get comfortable? I’m going to wash, change and relax a bit before dinner.”

  Not waiting for his response, she turned and went into her own room. Rafe scowled after her. He didn’t understand what she wanted from him. One minute, she flirted, the next, she behaved as if he were being casually dismissed. He couldn’t just turn off his libido, especially in light of everything that had passed between them already. He felt hot blood pounding into his groin, and he growled under his breath. What in the world was she up to? Was it possible that, as an innocent, she was curious about men. Perhaps she was merely trying out her wiles on him for practice and truly didn’t understand how close she was to pushing him over the edge. She likely had no idea that if he lost his self control, she would lose even more, including her innocence, her reputation, and her betrothal. He seriously doubted that she knew how much danger she was in.

  Rafe closed his door and leaned back against it. He drew several deep breaths into his lungs, trying to calm his raging lust. Finally, he straightened and stretched. He groaned softly as he felt his muscles ache in various places. He saw that a small ewer of warm water, a shallow basin, soap, and several cloths were laid out for him. He washed quickly and changed into clean clothes.

  When he was once again dressed, he opened the door and froze in stunned surprise. The queen was standing behind the silk screen in the bathing area. The parlor lay in darkness, except for the dim light provided by the fire. She had taken an oil lamp with her and placed it on a small stand behind the screen. He realized suddenly that the glowing light rendered the silk panels of the screen nearly transparent from his vantage point, while the dark room would make it seem opaque from hers. It was as if he were peering through a gauzy veil, and almost nothing was left to Rafe’s imagination as he watched her wash herself. She appeared unaware of his presence, and she hummed softly as she completed her leisurely ablutions. His mouth went suddenly dry, and he could not drag in a deep enough breath as he greedily scanned every tantalizing detail of her erotic display.

  He could easily make out the shape of her well rounded breasts and the pouting nipples perched atop their peaks. He couldn’t quite tell the color of those impudent tips, and once again he desperately wanted to know. He was sorely tempted to topple the screen to find out once and for all. He stood transfixed as she repeatedly raised her slender arms and let water dribble over her chest, all while she continued humming in contented absorption. Each time she repeated the maneuver, Rafe’s eyes eagerly traced the water’s path down her body, following the lithe curves of her waist and hips. He could clearly see the triangle of black hair at the apex of her thighs, and his eyes flared. Her legs were long and wonderfully shaped. He could readily imagine them wrapped around his waist as he thrust into her welcoming heat over and over and over…

  Realizing that he had become completely caught up in his heated fantasies, Rafe gave a shake of his head to regain his scattered wits. His rampant erection was throbbing painfully in his breeches. He must have made some small sound of longing, because the queen paused and raised her head as if surprised by his presence.

  “Is that you, your Grace?” she asked with a startled gasp.

  He knew she couldn’t see him, and Rafe felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. He was intruding where he should never be. She must not have realized he was even there, much less that he could see her in such vivid detail. He abruptly turned away and stared intently into the fire, breathing raggedly as he tried to subdue his raging lust.

  “Yes, your Majesty. I didn’t realize you were bathing. I will return to my room so you can have privacy.”

  Her voice halted him before he could move. “There’s no need. I’m finished,” she called from behind the screen.

  Rafe could not resist another look, and he stifled a pained groan as she donned a robe and cinched it around her slender waist. When she stepped from behind the panel, he nearly crumpled to his knees. She was dressed in a long, flowing robe of pale blue satin. While the material was neither thin nor sheer, it clung lovingly to her damp body and conformed faithfully to every sweet curve. He could easily see the outline of her pert nipples, and her bare feet and nude lower legs flashed with each step as she strolled toward him. She appeared blithely unaware of how dangerously close he was to ravishing her.

  She flashed him an innocent smile as she glided past him to her bedroom. “I’ll just get dressed. I’m sure dinner will be ready at any moment.”

  She closed the door softly, and Rafe slumped into a n
earby chair. His brow was coated in sweat and he was breathing as if he had just run a long distance. What the hell was going on? As an experienced rake, he should have been able to tell whether she was deliberately trying to seduce him. However, a deliberate seduction didn’t fit with any of his preconceived notions about the queen. He had always revered the royal family and placed them on a pedestal, because they had somehow always managed to marry for love. Why on earth would Queen Eleta be trying to seduce a total stranger? She was betrothed to another. Although she had chosen his enemy, he would have sworn she must have chosen for love. It just did not make any logical sense. Rafe dropped his head onto the back of the chair, closed his eyes and let out a tortured moan. He had to find an escape, or else he wasn’t sure how much longer he could resist the urge to ravish the queen!

  Eleta managed to maintain her composure until she had closed the door behind her. She let out a shaky breath, and then her lips curved into a smug feminine smile. She had never dreamed that it would be so pleasurable to seduce the wolf. She knew exactly how long Rafe had stood staring at her while she bathed. It had taken every ounce of willpower to pretend that she was unaware of his presence. And yet, the reward had been deliciously stimulating. Her skin had grown increasingly fevered beneath his lustful gaze, and for the first time in her life, she had understood her own power as a woman. She loved that he couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off her. And when he stared at her with such obvious lust, she felt an answering need in her own body. It was a very pleasant surprise to find that she actually wanted to give her body to this man…very much in fact. The prospect of him deflowering her was suddenly exciting rather than frightening, and she was impatient for the event to take place.

  For the past few hours in Rafe’s company, Eleta had almost forgotten her ultimate purpose. She had been too caught up in their interplay to think about her mission. However, she suddenly remembered, and her heart felt heavy in her breast. She sobered as she realized that she could not allow her personal feelings to become involved. She had to stay emotionally detached so that she could fulfill the prophecy.