not coming
with you.”
Kirel rose, fighting to keep his features uninterested.
“What you do or don’t want doesn’t matter. We’re taking you back to the castle
where you’ll accept your training like the queen you’re meant to be.”
She snarled, her full lip curling, revealing perfect teeth. “Never.”
He jerked his head in the direction of the other Guardians.
“Take her.”
Nelina’s eyes widened as Domenic moved around her, grabbing
her left arm. Thor took her right, lifting her off her feet. “You can’t do
this!”
With a nod to the assembled onlookers, Kirel headed for the
door. “Ladies and gentlemen, enjoy the rest of your night. The king sends his
blessings.”
Kirel led the way out. The door opened into darkness. Red
dust swirled around him, muffling Nelina’s protests.
Her cries carved a hollow slash through Kirel’s heart,
reminding him of the last time he’d heard the sounds. It had been his fault
then, just as it was now. It seemed he was destined to cause her pain.
He pulled open the carriage door and waited while Thor and
Domenic yanked Nelina inside. As they pulled her past him, she jabbed out with
her elbow, spearing him squarely in the ribs. An angry hiss escaped his lips,
directed more at himself than at her.
For the love of Aris, he was a Guardian! A protector! He’d
been trained to defend, not to harm. Yet here he was, hurting the woman he
loved.
Because your duty is to the king. Not to her.
Clenching his fists, he slammed one against the driver’s
window. “Go!” he shouted then leapt into the carriage and yanked the door
closed behind him as it began to move.
The interior of the chariot was shrouded in shadow.
Occasionally a beam of moonlight slid through the uncovered windows to play
across Nelina’s face. She sat across from him, between Thor and Domenic. Each
man had a hand on her thigh. The sight of their splayed fingers so close to her
tantalizing flesh sent a jolt of arousal and jealousy to slither through his
veins.
Kirel stretched his arms across the expanse of the cushioned
backrest and dug his fingernails into the soft fabric. “Why fight it, Nel?
Isn’t this what every woman wants?”
He caught sight of an angry gleam in her blue eyes. “You
don’t have a clue what I want. You never did.”
“Come now, that’s not fair. All those nights you spent in my
arms… I remember the way you used to beg for more.” His voice dropped to a low
whisper. “Don’t you?”
Domenic slid an arm around Nelina’s shoulder and pulled her
to him, ignoring her protests. “We’ll find out soon enough. Won’t we,
sweetheart?”
She tried to jerk out of his grip but Domenic kept her pressed
tightly against him. “What’s he talking about?”
“Your training of course,” Kirel said, fighting to keep his
mind detached. The erotic images that had haunted him all night intensified,
taunting him with mental pictures of Domenic lifting her skirt and toying with
her pussy right there in the carriage.
He’d be well within his rights to do so, as would Thor and
Kirel. Until she was handed over to the Fates for their decision during the
Trials and then ultimately to the king, Nelina was property of the king’s men.
They had complete autonomy over her training and could carry it out as they
deemed necessary.
His cock stiffened, pulsing almost painfully, tenting the
fabric of his pants. Gods, he was going to be useless if he couldn’t get his
emotions under control. He needed to prepare her for the Trials, not fuck her
senseless until he made up for all those lost years.
Nelina fell silent. Even in the gloom, he could make out the
calculating way she watched him from beneath lowered lashes. “Why the act, Kirel?”
she asked at last. “Why not just walk out the door like every other man? Did
bringing in your friends and pretending to be dragged away by force make you
feel better about yourself?”
His stomach churned. Her darkened silhouette sandwiched
between
with you.”
Kirel rose, fighting to keep his features uninterested.
“What you do or don’t want doesn’t matter. We’re taking you back to the castle
where you’ll accept your training like the queen you’re meant to be.”
She snarled, her full lip curling, revealing perfect teeth. “Never.”
He jerked his head in the direction of the other Guardians.
“Take her.”
Nelina’s eyes widened as Domenic moved around her, grabbing
her left arm. Thor took her right, lifting her off her feet. “You can’t do
this!”
With a nod to the assembled onlookers, Kirel headed for the
door. “Ladies and gentlemen, enjoy the rest of your night. The king sends his
blessings.”
Kirel led the way out. The door opened into darkness. Red
dust swirled around him, muffling Nelina’s protests.
Her cries carved a hollow slash through Kirel’s heart,
reminding him of the last time he’d heard the sounds. It had been his fault
then, just as it was now. It seemed he was destined to cause her pain.
He pulled open the carriage door and waited while Thor and
Domenic yanked Nelina inside. As they pulled her past him, she jabbed out with
her elbow, spearing him squarely in the ribs. An angry hiss escaped his lips,
directed more at himself than at her.
For the love of Aris, he was a Guardian! A protector! He’d
been trained to defend, not to harm. Yet here he was, hurting the woman he
loved.
Because your duty is to the king. Not to her.
Clenching his fists, he slammed one against the driver’s
window. “Go!” he shouted then leapt into the carriage and yanked the door
closed behind him as it began to move.
The interior of the chariot was shrouded in shadow.
Occasionally a beam of moonlight slid through the uncovered windows to play
across Nelina’s face. She sat across from him, between Thor and Domenic. Each
man had a hand on her thigh. The sight of their splayed fingers so close to her
tantalizing flesh sent a jolt of arousal and jealousy to slither through his
veins.
Kirel stretched his arms across the expanse of the cushioned
backrest and dug his fingernails into the soft fabric. “Why fight it, Nel?
Isn’t this what every woman wants?”
He caught sight of an angry gleam in her blue eyes. “You
don’t have a clue what I want. You never did.”
“Come now, that’s not fair. All those nights you spent in my
arms… I remember the way you used to beg for more.” His voice dropped to a low
whisper. “Don’t you?”
Domenic slid an arm around Nelina’s shoulder and pulled her
to him, ignoring her protests. “We’ll find out soon enough. Won’t we,
sweetheart?”
She tried to jerk out of his grip but Domenic kept her pressed
tightly against him. “What’s he talking about?”
“Your training of course,” Kirel said, fighting to keep his
mind detached. The erotic images that had haunted him all night intensified,
taunting him with mental pictures of Domenic lifting her skirt and toying with
her pussy right there in the carriage.
He’d be well within his rights to do so, as would Thor and
Kirel. Until she was handed over to the Fates for their decision during the
Trials and then ultimately to the king, Nelina was property of the king’s men.
They had complete autonomy over her training and could carry it out as they
deemed necessary.
His cock stiffened, pulsing almost painfully, tenting the
fabric of his pants. Gods, he was going to be useless if he couldn’t get his
emotions under control. He needed to prepare her for the Trials, not fuck her
senseless until he made up for all those lost years.
Nelina fell silent. Even in the gloom, he could make out the
calculating way she watched him from beneath lowered lashes. “Why the act, Kirel?”
she asked at last. “Why not just walk out the door like every other man? Did
bringing in your friends and pretending to be dragged away by force make you
feel better about yourself?”
His stomach churned. Her darkened silhouette sandwiched
between
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