by Rosalie Redd
Noeh moved closer to Melissa, standing between her and Demir. “Is there anything I can get you? An ale perhaps?”
“An…ale?” Melissa gave a stilted laugh. “Yes, please.”
Demir backed up and rolled his shoulders. He tilted his head from one side to the other in a nonchalant manner. “Ale is not what she needs, Stiyaha.” He peered at Noeh, tsked, and shook his head.
Noeh’s face reddened, and his jaw clenched. He stood with his legs apart, his right hand tapping the hilt of his sword with his king’s ring. “And what would that be?”
Demir was going to tell him. She didn’t want Noeh to know the extent of her need, but she couldn’t bring herself to confront Demir. She swallowed and anticipated Demir’s response.
Demir examined his fingernails on his left hand, as though interested in every minuscule detail. “She needs to feed. She has all the classic signs of blood starvation.”
“Blood starvation?” Noeh raised his eyebrows. He glanced at her.
A quick heat raced from her chest to her cheeks. Her embarrassment complete, she couldn’t hold his gaze, so she stared at her feet.
Demir smiled. “Pale skin, dark circles under the eyes, and general malnourishment are all signs of blood starvation.” He winked at Melissa. “She’s weak and needs to drink blood from a male. She will come to my quarters. I’ll take care of her needs.”
Adrenaline rushed through her body at the thought of feeding from Demir. “I’m fine, really.”
“I’ll do it,” Noeh said.
“As her master, it is my right.” Demir’s upper lip curled into a nasty snarl. He lifted his shoulders, his chin firm, his arms loose at his sides.
She didn’t want to feed from Demir. He’d push her to be his concubine. The thought sent goosebumps up her arm.
“She is my responsibility. Alora placed her in my care.” Noeh stood his ground, determination and conviction etched into the lines of his face.
Silence stretched between the two males and spoke louder than any words could. Deep within, the Keep rumbled. The ground shook. Melissa felt a slight swaying as the rumbling subsided.
Demir lifted his head and rubbed his chin while he evaluated Noeh. “Very well. I couldn’t possibly go against the wishes of a god, now could I?” He raised his hands in mock surrender and took a step back. He pointed to Melissa. “We will meet up again soon, slave.”
As Demir walked away, Melissa’s body shook and her mind spun. There would be a price to pay for this.
Strong, warm hands gripped her arms. She lifted her chin and peered at Noeh. His eyes were on fire; flecks of gold swirled in the pale blue. Above his right eye, the second line of his marking pulsed from black to gray to black again. She didn’t know what that meant but doubted it was good. His full mouth pinched down into a scowl.
“I told you to stay put.” Noeh’s curt words cut into her.
“Really? You thought I would?”
“You should have told me—about the blood.” His eyes darkened.
She flinched and pulled away. “It’s personal. What difference would it make?” Not that you would care.
He closed his eyes and exhaled a long breath. “This will have to wait. Once I have finished with the other guests—”
“You expect me to thank you?”
He peered down at her, his strong features rigid, his mouth set. “Thank me or do not, as you please. But I can’t let you continue to suffer, not under my watch.”
Heat flushed up Melissa’s face. Her fangs elongated, the sharp points digging into the soft flesh on the inside of her mouth. “Thank you,” she whispered.
*****
“What’s going on?” Aramie tracked Demir over to the table filled with desserts. “I could hear you arguing across the room.”
Demir inspected his second in command, and the corner of his eye twitched at his annoyance. “Melissa is here. We speculated on what became of her. Now we know.” He scooped his finger into a bowl of fresh whipped cream, leaving a large trail through the fluffy mound. He licked the cool, sweet cream from the tip of his finger. Eh, not bad.
Aramie spied Melissa across the room. “Now that she’s back in the fold, we can put her to work.”
“She’s going to feed from that Stiyaha.” His lip curled in distaste. “I should’ve forced her to feed from me.”
“Why do you bother with her? She’s just a slave.”
Demir’s face flushed, frustration and anger just under the surface of his control. He lowered his voice, his words full of tension. “I will deal with her my way, understand?”
Aramie crossed her arms in front of her chest. “She’s not your lost Eleanor. She will bring you nothing but pain.”
Demir stood tall, his elbows wide from his body, his fingernails elongating into sharp claws. A growl erupted from within, and he bared his teeth in a sign of dominance. “Do not speak of Eleanor. You don’t have the right.” His lost Eleanor was the only female he’d ever trusted with his heart.
Aramie glanced downward and bowed her head. “Forgive me, my lord, for angering you.”
Demir’s temper subsided as fast as it arose. “Melissa will be my concubine one day soon. She will come to me on her own.”
Aramie lifted her gaze and faced Demir once again. “And if she doesn’t?”
His focus returned to Melissa. He ground his teeth. “I hope it doesn’t come to that, but one way or another, she will be mine.”
Chapter Sixteen
Noeh twisted the knob, throwing open the door to his private bedchamber. He held out his hand to Melissa in a gesture to enter. The frown on his face made it clear he wasn’t happy about this arrangement.
Melissa walked across the threshold and into the most elaborate bedroom she’d ever seen. On the far side of the room was a tall, four-poster bed carved from the finest oak. The footboard’s centerpiece exemplified a large ‘T,’ the symbols for Lemuria and life everlasting, surrounded by deer, trees, and plants. Next to the bed stood a large desk, its legs made from tree trunks, the top inlaid with beautiful sunstones.
Painted canvases covered the walls. One in particular, over the bed, caught Melissa’s attention. The painting contained a king and queen playing a game of stones with a child on a worn wooden table. The child laughed and held up a bright orange crystal, the victor in the game.
The king smiled at the child, while his arms wrapped around his mate in a gentle embrace. The queen cuddled against her king, blond hair flowing over her shoulder in a long braid. A seashell, the edges encased in gold hung from a thin chain around her neck. Why did Noeh choose this particular canvas to place over his bed?
Studying the painting further, she noticed the curve of the queen’s smile and the light that shone in her pale blue eyes. Noeh looked a lot like the queen. Could that be his—
“Ah-hem.”
Noeh’s voice brought Melissa out of her trance. She glanced at him, and her face warmed at being caught admiring his bedroom. His piercing stare made her squirm. She turned around, unable to hold his scrutiny for long.
Glancing at her hands, she took a deep breath. Relax, Mel. This is just about getting nourishment. Don’t look at it as anything else. She inhaled and held it for a few seconds before speaking.
“For Dren, feeding is very intimate. You don’t have to do this.”
“You need to feed. I will do it.” Noeh’s voice was low and quiet.
The tone sent shivers across the back of her neck. Her heart began to race, and she turned to face him once again. He covered much of the distance between them and stood mere inches away.
This was wrong on so many levels. She shouldn’t be attracted to him. A memory of William with his gentle smile and kind eyes formed in her mind. Her chest ached.
A door to her left connected to her adjoining room. The entryway offered a temporary safe-haven, one she needed in order to process her conflicting emotions. She brushed past Noeh and tried to ignore his unique scent that heightened her desire. Breathless, she peered
over her shoulder. Frustration strained his mouth and the lines around his eyes.
“I’m not sure I can do this. I’m sorry.” She grabbed the door handle, intent on putting as much distance as possible between them.
He grabbed her arms, preventing her from fleeing. “Wait. Tell me what’s wrong.”
His hands on her arms should have angered her, but instead, a strange sense of relief flowed into her body. She didn’t know how to respond, so she stood there, unmoving.
“Please talk to me. I want to help.” His calm voice soothed her racing mind.
Melissa relaxed, closed her eyes, and leaned her head against the door. “Please, I…need some space.”
Noeh released her arms and backed away.
Opening her eyes, Melissa took a slow breath and turned around. A strong, fierce male stared down at her with hooded eyes and full, parted lips. Her fingertips tingled with an overwhelming desire to reach out and touch the curve of his luscious mouth.
What is happening to me? She shook her head and peered at the floor. A lump rose in her throat as remorse filled her, but whether it was for William or for Noeh, she didn’t know.
“Tell me about him,” Noeh said, his tone coaxing.
“Who?”
“The male you won’t let go.”
“William,” Melissa whispered. Heaviness enveloped her, pushing on her heart. She searched Noeh’s eyes. Compassion and something else, something strong, deep within his soul, called to her.
“All right.” Taking a deep breath, she searched for strength and began. “About a year ago, our Pride joined with another. The Panthera wanted to hunt together, to bond with the new Pride. We were low on food, and that forced us to take chances.”
She walked over to the desk and placed her hands on the back of the well-worn wooden chair. Noeh followed, but kept his distance.
“William didn’t go because Dren were not allowed to hunt. Besides, he wanted to stay with me since I had delivered our baby boy the previous night. Seth was beautiful, with a perfect button nose and tiny hands and feet. I loved him so much. He was special, the only baby in centuries. I knew right away when I became pregnant because my scent changed, mixed with his.” A tear threatened to spill over her lashes. She rubbed her eye, not wanting Noeh to see it.
“We stayed in an empty cabin, away from prying human eyes. We weren’t alone, as the other Dren prepared for the hunting party’s return and the meat they would bring.” Her chest ached, the dull pain building as the memories returned.
“Please, continue.” Noeh took a step closer. He grasped the top rung of the wooden chair, grazing her fingers with his.
Hypersensitive to his touch, she flinched. She inhaled through her teeth, the sound loud in the small room. Unwilling to meet his gaze, she withdrew her hand and walked over to the carved footboard. The picture of the king, queen, and child caught her attention again. The joy of their simple pleasure made a lump form in her throat. She swallowed and turned to face Noeh.
His hand still gripped the back of the chair. The glow from the sunstones lining the cave walls caused his ring to glimmer in the soft amber light. He observed her with an intensity she found unnerving and exciting at the same time. She was exposing herself to him, allowing him to see her innermost thoughts and feelings. Though she was wary, something about him encouraged her to speak, to tell him about herself. This wasn’t like her, and she didn’t want to think about what that meant. She continued before she lost her nerve.
“It wasn’t long before we smelled the Gossum. The front window shattered. A gas canister exploded in the room. I fell to the floor, cradling Seth in my arms. I was blinded by the blast, unable to move.” She rubbed her hands together, trying to soothe her nerves. Talking about that night made the pain raw and new, like a scab ripped from a wound.
“Several Gossum forced their way through the door and rushed into the cabin. I gagged from their horrid stench. William dragged me and Seth into the back room, trying to buy us time and give us a chance to escape.” Her body shook, making it difficult to concentrate.
She peeked at Noeh. Motionless, he peered at her, his expression flat and unreadable except for the small muscle in his jaw, which flexed tight. She swallowed, certain this male held his emotions under a thin film of control.
“William tried to protect us. He used his powers—he could throw blades from his fingertips—but two Gossum overpowered him. I tried to use my shield, but I was too weak. The birth of our child had drained my energy.”
Her heartbeat picked up as she relived the attack. She closed her eyes and exhaled a long, slow breath. “About that time, our hunting party returned. One of the Gossum came close to me. I held Seth with one arm and grabbed the fireplace poker left by the hearth. I used the rod to block the creature’s tongue as it lashed out at us, but I couldn’t hold him off for long.”
Melissa’s chest tightened, the anguish as fresh as when it happened.
“He hit my baby, flinging him out of my grasp and through the window. All I could see was the broken glass stained red with my baby’s blood.” Her breath caught in her throat, and she couldn’t speak.
Noeh crossed the room and stood in front of her. “I’m sorry,” he said. “If I could change it for you, I would.”
His warm breath tickled the fine hairs on her face. He smelled fresh, like the air after a spring rain. His compassion touched her, but his sympathy wasn’t enough to erase the misery of that terrible night.
“Thank you, but nothing can bring him back.”
“That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t try.” The spiral marking under his eye pulsed.
Something about the sworl captivated her. She stared at its beauty, wanting to touch the raised mark.
“There’s more to the story, isn’t there?”
Melissa’s gaze shot to the ground. “Yes. Much more.”
She glanced at Noeh’s face and was encouraged by the warmth in his eyes. “Demir entered the room. He attacked the Gossum that now had his sights on me. I raced to the window, my thoughts on Seth. I looked through the broken frame, frantic to see if he was alive. He was silent, not a single cry came from him.”
Her throat constricting with pain and loss, she couldn’t continue. She pressed her fist against her lips, holding back a scream.
Noeh’s warm hand touched her shoulder, spreading comfort and strength through her body. “You don’t need to continue.”
“No, I want to finish this.” She took a deep breath and turned the sorrow in her gut into determination. “I scrambled through the window, not caring as the edges of the broken glass punctured my hands and knees. It didn’t matter; I was numb inside and out. I picked up his lifeless body and closed his eyes.” A tear slid down her cheek, and she wiped it away, embarrassed by her weakness. “I don’t know how long I stood there, holding him, but a rage built within me.”
Her anger rose again at the memory, adrenaline racing through her body and into her closed fists. “It was quiet when I re-entered the cabin. The only sound was the heavy breathing of our warriors and the soft cries of the wounded. The Gossum were dead, globs of their filth spread across the floor. I ran to the back room, anxious to find William. He lay motionless, his body turning to sand. The battle was over, and so was my life as I knew it. Both Seth and William were dead.”
Chapter Seventeen
Noeh looked into Melissa’s eyes, and his own chest ached for her, for everything she’d been through. Tears streaked her cheeks. As if in response to her sorrow, the sunstones in the walls and the ceiling warmed.
“I’m sorry for your loss. Clearly, you loved them very much.”
He grasped Melissa’s hands and brushed his thumb over her delicate skin, so smooth to his touch. The soft light from the crystals accentuated the redness of her hair. Its shine mesmerized him.
She raised her head, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. A massive weight filled him. His marking under his right eye, the one for compassion, burned and pulsed in rhyth
m with his heavy heart.
He cupped her face in his hand. The warmth of her skin sent a tremble of need down his spine. Her mouth parted, riveting his gaze there in a heartbeat. Her breathing picked up. She licked her lips, moistening them.
Every detail in her face became clear, from her plump mouth to her emerald eyes. A tingling sensation teased his fingertips everywhere they connected with her soft skin. His beast roared within, blood coursing through his veins.
“Thank you.” She pulled away. Her actions contradicted the want and need glimmering in her eyes.
He dropped his hand to his side, and his beast bellowed in dismay. A lump formed in his throat as blood rushed through his body. His beast wanted nothing more than to claim her right here, right now.
Noeh stood still, rigid. Melissa’s chin trembled, and he knew he frightened her. He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. “You’ve told me about William and your baby, now tell me about Demir.”
His rough voice sounded curt and demanding. He didn’t mean to frighten her, but he wanted, no, he needed to know about every potential rival. His body shook with pent-up desire, his mind reeling from the overwhelming emotions.
Biting her lower lip, she just about drove him mad.
“He wants me to become his concubine,” she said.
Rage blinded him, and his beast bucked for control. He closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose, concentrating on keeping the beast at bay. His body swayed. Any restraint he had left was razor thin.
A gentle hand touched his shoulder, pinning him there like nothing else could.
“Are you ok?”
Her soft, tender voice, like a soothing melody, stroked his inner beast, calming him. He lifted his head and peered into the deepest pair of green eyes, like polished emeralds.
“He’s the reason you left. He pushed you, and when his demands became too much, you ran away. Isn’t that right?” Noeh’s eyes narrowed, his anger contained beneath his calm exterior.
“Yes, Demir became obsessed with me. I fled when his advances became more than I could handle.”