room—anywhere but this awful hellhole. The first time he touched her so intimately should have been something special and sweet, not this sordid and forced spectacle for the amusement of their guards.
Forget about the guards. Take what you want.
Mad glanced over his shoulder as the raspy voice of the Seer invaded his mind. Ivy must have sensed the evil presence of the Knights’ secret weapon because she shivered. He rolled his neck and tried to block the psychic’s mental attack but he wasn’t nearly as adept as Ivy.
Grabbing the small bottle of shampoo that had been left for them, he squeezed a dollop into his hand and worked it into her hair. He stepped closer to her, but mindful of the erection her scent and alluring beauty had inspired, he made sure it wasn’t too close. Ivy relaxed as he massaged her scalp and spread the coconut-scented foam through her hair. He helped her rinse and then stepped back when she pivoted toward him.
The cuffs spun around her wrists as she twirled under the chains, using the slack to allow her to face him. He stiffened when she wrapped her arms around his waist. With shaky fingers that betrayed her uncertainty and nervousness, she dragged the bar of soap up and down his back. How much courage had it taken for someone who was so obviously inexperienced with men to touch him like this? He could smell her anxiety, but she soldiered on and kept her soapy hands on his skin. Her cheek was pressed to his chest—and the throbbing head of his hard cock nudged the soft flesh of her belly.
She wants you.
Go. Away. He hated that this evil crone was trying to manipulate him. Even more, he despised the way his weak body responded. Why couldn’t he control himself? What was so different about tonight?
Breathe in deeply, Welshman. Her scent has sweetened. She’s in heat—for you.
He tried to hold his breath but it was impossible. He had to breathe, and the Seer was right. Ivy was hot for him. She was excited, aroused, and nervous. The delicious scent of her drove his inner beast fucking crazy.
Take her. Mate her. Claim her.
“No!”
Ivy jumped, dropping the soap and jerking her hands back. The chains attached to her wrists slapped his arms. “I’m sorry.”
He grasped the fingers of her right hand. “I didn’t mean you. I meant her .”
Ivy’s eyes darkened with concern. “Is she talking to you? I can feel her, but she’s not bothering me.”
“She’s bothering me.” He backed Ivy up until she stood under the showerhead and watched the hot water rush over her pink skin. He prayed it would dilute the enticing and alluring scent of her. Looking down at his dark-haired sprite, he lost himself in her curious gaze. Her lips were reddened, and when her pink tongue swiped the upper one, he swooped down to capture it. At the last possible second, he stopped himself. Ivy’s shuddery breath skated across his cheek. Eyes closed, he tensed his jaw. “I’m sorry.”
“What’s wrong with you? You feel different to me. You feel…dangerous.”
“I am.” And he didn’t know why. Unless…
His gaze darted to the dinner they had eaten. No, he had tasted the food and it was safe. He glanced at the soap and toiletries but those all smelled right. How else might he have been drugged? He hadn’t put anything else in his mouth except for—
“The toothpaste,” he announced with a growl. “They put lust root in the fucking toothpaste.”
“Lust what?”
“It’s an old plant that can’t be found in the wild anymore. Ignatius ordered every last plant searched out and destroyed after the Knights captured Reinhard and forced it on him.” The viciously cruel memories of what his friend had suffered still soured his stomach. “It’s the reason he changed his name. After his rampage, he disappeared for many years, and when he came back, he was an entirely different person.”
Ivy swallowed. “Rampage?”
The wavering fear in her voice cut him like a razor to the heart. “I
Forget about the guards. Take what you want.
Mad glanced over his shoulder as the raspy voice of the Seer invaded his mind. Ivy must have sensed the evil presence of the Knights’ secret weapon because she shivered. He rolled his neck and tried to block the psychic’s mental attack but he wasn’t nearly as adept as Ivy.
Grabbing the small bottle of shampoo that had been left for them, he squeezed a dollop into his hand and worked it into her hair. He stepped closer to her, but mindful of the erection her scent and alluring beauty had inspired, he made sure it wasn’t too close. Ivy relaxed as he massaged her scalp and spread the coconut-scented foam through her hair. He helped her rinse and then stepped back when she pivoted toward him.
The cuffs spun around her wrists as she twirled under the chains, using the slack to allow her to face him. He stiffened when she wrapped her arms around his waist. With shaky fingers that betrayed her uncertainty and nervousness, she dragged the bar of soap up and down his back. How much courage had it taken for someone who was so obviously inexperienced with men to touch him like this? He could smell her anxiety, but she soldiered on and kept her soapy hands on his skin. Her cheek was pressed to his chest—and the throbbing head of his hard cock nudged the soft flesh of her belly.
She wants you.
Go. Away. He hated that this evil crone was trying to manipulate him. Even more, he despised the way his weak body responded. Why couldn’t he control himself? What was so different about tonight?
Breathe in deeply, Welshman. Her scent has sweetened. She’s in heat—for you.
He tried to hold his breath but it was impossible. He had to breathe, and the Seer was right. Ivy was hot for him. She was excited, aroused, and nervous. The delicious scent of her drove his inner beast fucking crazy.
Take her. Mate her. Claim her.
“No!”
Ivy jumped, dropping the soap and jerking her hands back. The chains attached to her wrists slapped his arms. “I’m sorry.”
He grasped the fingers of her right hand. “I didn’t mean you. I meant her .”
Ivy’s eyes darkened with concern. “Is she talking to you? I can feel her, but she’s not bothering me.”
“She’s bothering me.” He backed Ivy up until she stood under the showerhead and watched the hot water rush over her pink skin. He prayed it would dilute the enticing and alluring scent of her. Looking down at his dark-haired sprite, he lost himself in her curious gaze. Her lips were reddened, and when her pink tongue swiped the upper one, he swooped down to capture it. At the last possible second, he stopped himself. Ivy’s shuddery breath skated across his cheek. Eyes closed, he tensed his jaw. “I’m sorry.”
“What’s wrong with you? You feel different to me. You feel…dangerous.”
“I am.” And he didn’t know why. Unless…
His gaze darted to the dinner they had eaten. No, he had tasted the food and it was safe. He glanced at the soap and toiletries but those all smelled right. How else might he have been drugged? He hadn’t put anything else in his mouth except for—
“The toothpaste,” he announced with a growl. “They put lust root in the fucking toothpaste.”
“Lust what?”
“It’s an old plant that can’t be found in the wild anymore. Ignatius ordered every last plant searched out and destroyed after the Knights captured Reinhard and forced it on him.” The viciously cruel memories of what his friend had suffered still soured his stomach. “It’s the reason he changed his name. After his rampage, he disappeared for many years, and when he came back, he was an entirely different person.”
Ivy swallowed. “Rampage?”
The wavering fear in her voice cut him like a razor to the heart. “I
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