She winced. Why would the general want her guarded with one of his own soldiers? A likely answer popped into her mind. The Lord Protector might suspect she was planning to run away rather than marry him. He might even hear from the priest that she’d confessed to being afraid of him.
She groaned inwardly. She shouldn’t have confided in the priest. But she’d felt compelled to say something honest. He hadn’t seemed to buy her long-bath story. Come back when you’ve done something you actually regret.
But he had made her feel better. His words of assurance had buoyed her spirits, much like the handsome, redheaded man who had watched her so intently that morning.
When they entered the Great Hall, she was astonished by how many people were there. The castle guards were in full uniform, blue and white, while a few high-ranking officers from the Eberoni army were there, dressed in the royal red and black. Her father introduced her to General Harden, who didn’t seem nearly as horrid now that she knew he wasn’t her betrothed.
The duke led her through the crowd, and she smiled and greeted people with her best accent. When it came to her father’s vassals, these were people she was supposed to know. Thankfully, her father was extremely helpful.
“Tatiana, dear,” he would say, “you remember Baron Suffield, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course,” Luciana would reply with a curtsy. “So good to see you again.”
And then they would move on to the next guest.
When the three priests approached, the duke greeted them by name. The two older priests were Fathers Grendel and Owen. The young one was Father Rune. She said a few words, her smile freezing when she saw the young priest ogling her breasts.
His gaze lifted to her face, and he sniffed with his long hawk-like nose. “My lady. How kind of you to grace us with … so much of your presence.”
Luciana stiffened as a mixture of embarrassment and alarm swept through her. Her father’s arm tensed beneath her hand, and she turned toward him. “I fear our good guests have gone hungry long enough.”
“Quite so, my dear.” He motioned to the servants to begin bringing in the food, then led her onto the dais, where they would dine at the head table with their special guest, General Harden.
The general sat to her father’s left, while Luciana took her seat to his right. Her heart pounded, and as her gaze drifted over the Great Hall, all she could see was a blur of bright colors. All she heard was a hum of noise. For her mind was still focused on the sound of the young priest’s voice. It had been nasal and high-pitched. Rude and sneering.
He was not the man who had taken her confession. None of the priests sounded like him. Her hands gripped the arms of her chair. She could come to only one conclusion.
The man who had listened to her was not a priest.
So who was he?
* * *
At the far end of the Great Hall, Leo was upstairs in the musicians’ gallery. Once again, there were no musicians, so the balcony was dark and empty. With his hooded black cape and his body partially concealed behind a heavy curtain, he had remained unnoticed by the crowd below.
The banquet was a dangerous event for the duke and his daughter. With so many people milling about, it would not be difficult for an assassin to attempt something with a knife. His gaze scanned all the castle guards, searching for any signs of a hidden weapon. A few of his highest-ranking officers were below, and since they knew about the danger, they were watching everyone carefully. They also knew he was keeping his presence a secret for a few days in order to spur the assassins into action.
His breath caught when Tatiana came in, escorted by her father. Her cheeks were rosy with color, though he was quick to note that her blush did not extend down her lovely neck to the creamy white mounds so sweetly displayed. His groin tightened. God, she was beautiful. How would he resist touching her?
And why was he feeling so damned possessive? He didn’t even know her yet, but each time a male guest lowered his gaze to her breasts, he wanted to rearrange the man’s face.
A quick look around confirmed that her gown didn’t expose any more than the ones worn by other women in attendance. But the other women could strip naked and his eyes would still gravitate back to Tatiana. What was it about her that drew him in?
Yes, she was beautiful. And if rumors were correct, she might also be vain and selfish.
He didn’t believe it. After leaving the chapel that afternoon, he’d spotted her working in the kitchen garden. Would a selfish woman help the servants? And she hadn’t bothered to protect her head from the sun or her hands from the dirt. Her confession about taking a long bath made her appear vain, but his gut told him she’d made it up. No doubt she’d been warned that the priests were spies for the king. As far as he could tell, the only time she’d been sincere was when she’d admitted her fear of her betrothed.
He sighed. How was he going to court her if he couldn’t touch her? He was a warrior, not a poet, so he doubted he could win her heart with words.
Fool, he chided himself. No noble expected to find love in his marriage, not when the king was the one who mandated whom you would wed. So why did he worry about winning her heart? Why did he care so damned much?
As a warrior, he was accustomed to analyzing battle plans, not emotions. Even so, he made an attempt to put labels on what he was feeling.
Lust. That was the easiest to discern. She was a beautiful woman. Lovely face, gorgeous body. A glint in her eye and a lift of her chin that spelled intelligence and courage. Of course he desired her. He could lose his right nut and still lust for her. Hell, he could be on his deathbed, and she’d still make him hard. He shifted his weight. His damned breeches were getting too tight. He’d better stop thinking about lust. What else was he feeling?
Possessiveness. He didn’t want to share her. Something about her filled him with greed. And lust. Move on.
Protectiveness. The king wanted her dead, so his protective instincts were in full swing. Along with lust. Get a grip.
Kinship. The king wanted both him and her dead, so he felt a connection to her. And a great deal of lust.
Dammit. Wasn’t there more to him than lust? He might be a Beast, but he still had a soul. He delved deeper into his heart till he reached an inner core of truth.
The Beast needed to be loved.
Hungry men could dream of food, thirsty men might dream of wine, but his soul was shriveling from a different kind of starvation. How many years had it been since he’d touched someone? Since someone had touched him?
His soul was starving.
Dammit to hell. The truth made him feel pathetic. From the age of five, he’d lived as the Beast. Feared and reviled. Everyone believed he was so powerful, but deep inside he was plagued by a desperate weakness. He needed someone who could love him in spite of what he was.
Her words came back to taunt him. I’m afraid … of my betrothed.
“You should be afraid,” he whispered.
“Of what?” Nevis asked, and Leo whirled around to see him entering the gallery.
“Dammit,” Leo growled. “Don’t sneak up on me.” This was the second time today his friend had caught him unaware.
“Would you rather I make a lot of noise to draw everyone’s attention?” Nevis asked wryly as he approached the balcony railing.
“Stay behind the curtain,” Leo warned him. “Do you have news?”
“The duke gave me permission to bunk in the barracks with the castle guards, so that should help me figure out who the assassins are. The captain of the guard was rude about my moving in. Acted like an ass.”
“I want him dismissed.”
Nevis’s eyes widened. “You … know about him?”
“I know his men are poorly trained. What else is there to know?”
Nevis winced. “Well, he appears to be the source of the rumors about the Lady of Vindalyn.”
Leo stiffened. “He’s the one spouting garbage about her?” He scanned the people below. “Where is he?”
&n
bsp; “That’s him.” Nevis pointed a finger around the edge of the curtain. “Captain Bougaire.”
Leo eyed the man in full uniform with an abundance of medals and ribbons pinned to his barrel-shaped chest. The man definitely had an inflated idea of his own importance. And he kept glaring at Tatiana. “He doesn’t like her?”
Nevis snorted. “He claims to love her.”
Leo tensed. “He…”
“Yes. He’s the one having an affair with—”
“Alleged affair,” Leo cut in.
Nevis sighed. “According to the other soldiers, he openly boasts about his … conquest. He’s so obnoxious about it, they call him Captain Booger.”
“I prefer bastard.”
“Works for me.” Nevis nodded. “My father had a long talk with the duke. Convinced him of the danger he’s in. The duke has agreed to let us provide guards for him and his daughter.”
“Good.” Leo continued to watch Tatiana and her father to make sure no one pulled a knife or sword on them.
“Where’s Brody?” Nevis asked.
Leo gestured toward the hearth where a group of dogs sprawled on the cool stone. No fire would be lit tonight since the room was already warm. “He’s blending in.”
Nevis snorted. “And picking up fleas, no doubt. What about the priests? Did you check their rooms?”
“Yes. Two of the priests enjoy comfort. Expensive wine, fine furnishings, silk underclothes.” Leo spotted the three priests, who were approaching the duke and Tatiana.
“Those are probably the two older ones,” Nevis said. “They look like they’ve been eating well for years.”
“The third room was like a prison cell—narrow cot, rough blanket, no pillow.” Leo narrowed his eyes on the young priest, who resembled a black crow with his dark hair and long beak-like nose. “Under the cot, there was a whip with seven leather cords knotted with barbs. Stained with blood.”
“Damn.” Nevis grimaced. “He whips people?”
“That was my first thought. Then I discovered some of his undershirts had bloodstains on the back.” Leo scowled at the young priest, who was smirking at Tatiana. “He’s doing it to himself.”
“Sick bastard.”
“The shirts were too narrow for the older priests. I think—” Something about Tatiana’s face made Leo pause. She was disturbed by something the young priest had said.
“You think the younger one, Father Rune, is an assassin,” Nevis finished for him.
“Aye, and fanatical enough to believe he’s following the will of the Light.” Leo watched Tatiana and her father ascend the steps to the dais. General Harden joined them.
“The dinner’s starting.” Nevis headed for the stairs. “Maybe we can sit in a back corner without being seen.”
Leo didn’t move as he observed Brody trot over to the dais and scramble up to be next to Tatiana. She leaned over, cupping his face in her hands, and dammit to hell, his big snout was about two inches away from her breasts!
“Shit,” Leo muttered. He could practically see Brody drooling from here.
“Come on.” Nevis motioned impatiently. “I’m hungry.”
“I need to remain hidden.”
“Fine. I’ll bring two plates up here.”
“No. I have a mission for you.”
“What?” With an annoyed huff, Nevis approached the balcony railing. “Why don’t we eat first?” He leaned over the railing to look at the food. “Damn, it looks good.”
Leo eased back into the shadows. “Are you trying to announce our presence?”
“No one sees us,” Nevis insisted as he looked over the room. “Well, maybe a few have noticed me, but so what? I’m just one more of your officers here tonight in uniform. They’ll think I’m working on security detail. If I brought food up here, no one would think twice about it.”
With a groan, Leo dragged a hand through his hair, accidentally knocking his hood off. “We have more important matters to attend to. Right now, the castle guards are either here or on duty. That means the barracks will be empty. You should take this opportunity to search their rooms for hidden weapons or correspondence.”
“But what about—”
“The duke and his daughter will be safe for now. The general and some of my best officers are here, so we can leave. While you’re checking the barracks, I’ll examine Lady Tatiana’s room to see how secure it is. Come to my tent in two hours to report. And bring Brody with you.”
“But the banquet—”
“We can eat at the camp.” Leo gave him a wry look. “You don’t appear to be starving.”
Nevis thumped his stomach. “This is muscle!”
Leo snorted. “Go.” As his friend grumbled and tromped down the stairs, Leo glanced toward the dais once more.
Damn. His heart lurched. Tatiana had spotted him. Quickly, he scanned the room. Everyone else was focused on their food. But Tatiana was clearly watching him, her hand frozen with a spoon lifted halfway to her mouth.
He inclined his head.
Her eyes widened, and a pea tumbled from the spoon and landed in the tight valley between her breasts. With a gasp, she dropped the spoon and lifted a napkin to cover herself. She glanced at him again, her face blushing.
Yes. He had an effect on her. Just as she had an effect on him. He slowly smiled.
She glanced furtively around the room, but everyone was too busy eating and conversing with one another to notice her dilemma. Slowly, she eased a hand beneath the napkin to retrieve the pea. Then, her cheeks still flushed a rosy pink, she slipped the pea into her mouth.
Holy shit, he’d never seen anything so damned arousing. His groin swelled. She lowered her napkin to her lap, once again revealing the upper curves of her lovely breasts. Dammit, he was growing hard, and as far as he could tell, she didn’t have a clue what she was doing to him.
She would be the death of him. With a wince, he realized the opposite was far more likely. Dammit. He pulled up his hood and headed down the stairs.
Chapter Ten
Luciana hardly tasted any of her food, for her mind was racing with one alarming thought after another.
First, an imposter had listened to her confession.
Second, she was supposed to receive a message from her sisters at dawn tomorrow. It was going to be difficult with her guard following her every move, but she was determined to go through with it. Nothing would keep her from communicating with her sisters!
Third, her mother was somewhere in the castle. Luciana desperately wanted to meet her, but how could she manage to talk to her mother without her guard overhearing her? She certainly couldn’t risk anyone finding out that she possessed a supernatural power that only one of the Embraced could have. And tomorrow afternoon, she would acquire an additional guard from the Lord Protector’s army. She didn’t know why, but she assumed her betrothed was afraid she’d attempt an escape.
Fourth, she feared Captain Bougaire would do something disastrous. The way he kept glaring at her was unnerving.
Fifth, her betrothed would arrive in a few days. The Lord Protector, otherwise known as the Beast of Benwick, whose touch could kill.
And last, but not least, she’d seen him again. The handsome, redheaded man who so perfectly matched the prediction from the Telling Stones. He’d been at the far end of the Great Hall in the musicians’ gallery.
Captain Harden had first drawn her attention when he’d leaned over the railing. But he’d soon disappeared down the stairs. She supposed most of the people in the hall could only see the area close to railing, but in her position on the dais, she was facing the gallery and able to see farther into the shadows. And that was how she’d spotted the hooded man who was talking to the captain. When he’d pushed back his hood, and she’d realized it was him, her heart had leaped in her chest.
Even now, her cheeks grew warm just thinking about him. And when she thought about the accident with the pea, she wanted to crawl under the table. By the goddesses, he must think she was hope
less!
He, on the other hand, had appeared more gorgeous than ever. Standing in the shadows, he’d looked dark and mysterious. As far as she could tell, his hair was cut a little shorter than most men’s, just above his collar, and it curled around his ears in a slightly disheveled manner as if he’d given up on taming it. That gave him a boyish look she found endearing.
But there was nothing boyish about the rest of him. His black cape couldn’t hide the fact that he had long legs and broad shoulders. His mouth, wide and sensuous, had smiled at her as if he had the power to melt her from across the room. And his eyes—that hungry look in them had taken her breath away.
Apparently, he hadn’t been hungry for food, for he’d left without eating. The banquet had seemed terribly dull after that. Somehow, she’d managed to make it through four courses. Now she was pushing roast duck around her plate.
“Are you enjoying your dinner?” her father asked.
“Yes, but I was full after the last course. Do you mind if I turn in a bit early?”
He smiled. “Go ahead. Everyone believes you’re still recovering from a terrible illness.” He leaned toward her and whispered, “You did well. I’ll see you in the morning for mass.”
She stepped down from the dais, and Jensen escorted her back to her bedchamber. Tomorrow evening she would have two guards, so tonight was her best chance for sneaking back to the tower room to meet her mother.
“You may return to the festivities, if you like,” she told Jensen once he delivered her to her door.
“I dare not leave you unprotected, my lady.”
He wasn’t going to leave his post outside her door, Luciana realized, and she couldn’t think of a likely excuse for going to the tower. “I-I’ll see you in the morning.” She closed the door with a silent groan.
It was just as well, she thought as she trudged to the dressing room to remove the blue brocade gown. She needed to retire to bed early tonight, for tomorrow at dawn the message from her sisters would arrive. She wasn’t quite sure how, but Maeve had assured her that it would happen.
* * *
Two hours had passed, and Leo was in his tent, finishing his dinner, when Nevis called out.
How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days Page 10