Authors: Kathryn Le Veque
Dark Destroyer
DARK DESTROYER
A Medieval Romance
By Kathryn Le Veque
Part of the de Wolfe Pack/Great Marcher Lords of de Lara
Copyright 2015 by Kathryn Le Veque
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Printed by Kathryn Le Veque Novels in the United States of America
Text copyright 2015 by Kathryn Le Veque
Cover copyright 2015 by Kathryn Le Veque
Kathryn Le Veque Novels
Medieval Romance: The White Lord of Wellesbourne The Dark One: Dark Knight While Angels Slept Rise of the Defender Spectre of the Sword Unending Love Archangel Lord of the Shadows Great Protector To the Lady Born The Falls of Erith Lord of War: Black Angel (also related to The Dark One: Dark Knight) The Darkland Black Sword The Wolfe Serpent Scorpion (Also related to THE QUESTING) Walls of Babylon The Lion of the North Dark Destroyer The Whispering Night Netherworld The Dark Lord Devil’s Dominion Lespada Swords and Shields (also related to The Questing) Unrelated characters or family groups: The Gorgon (Also related to Lords of Thunder) The Warrior Poet Guardian of Darkness (related to The Fallen One) Tender is the Knight Lespada (Also related to Lords of Thunder) Lord of Light The Questing (related to The Dark Lord, Scorpion) Beast (related to Great Protector, The Dark One: Dark Knight) The Dragonblade Trilogy: Dragonblade Island of Glass The Savage Curtain The Fallen One Fragments of Grace Lords of Thunder: The de Shera Brotherhood Trilogy The Thunder Lord The Thunder Warrior The Thunder Knight | Novella, Time Travel Romance: Echoes of Ancient Dreams. Contemporary Romance: Kathlyn Trent/Marcus Burton Series: Valley of the Shadow The Eden Factor Canyon of the Sphinx The American Heroes Series: Resurrection Fires of Autumn Evenshade Sea of Dreams Purgatory Other Contemporary Romance: Lady of Heaven Darkling, I Listen Time Travel Romance: The Crusader Kingdom Come Note: All Kathryn’s novels are designed to be read as stand-alones, although many have cross-over characters or cross-over family groups. Novels that are grouped together have related characters or family groups. Series are clearly marked. All series contain the same characters or family groups except the American Heroes Series, which is an anthology with unrelated characters. There is NO particular chronological order for any of the novels because they can all be read as stand-alones, even the series. For more information, find it on Amazon in |
For my beautiful Stormy
This novel is different from the usual Le Veque rock ‘em, sock ‘em battle tales. This one is a simple but powerful love story….
In Celtic mythology, the term “Dark Destroyer” is synonymous with “rogue” or “rake”, hence Gates de Wolfe’s nickname. He’s not a wicked man by any means (no de Wolfe ever could be), but he is definitely the love ‘em and leave ‘em type when it comes to the ladies. A ladies’ man? Absolutely! But you’ll find out why we like him so much (isn’t that half the fun of a good tale?)!
Still, Gates is a very different Le Veque hero. He’s in no way perfect. At some points, he’s really not even likable. But he’s human, and he’s a de Wolfe, which means he has great capacity for change. In fact, you’re going to see a big change in him from the beginning of the novel to the end, where he really comes to terms with what he’s done in his life that he’s not proud of and how difficult it is to live up to the de Wolfe name. He’s got some demons. But I really fell in love with him in spite of his flaws.
Things to note - in the beginning of the story, there is a mention of St. Milburga’s Priory in the village of Ludlow along the Welsh Marches. It is an actual place. Although a very old priory with a rich history, having been built in the Dark Ages, St. Milburga’s was eventually a Cluniac priory for men only. In this novel, I have taken artistic license to make it a woman-only healing order. Also, none of the castles in this novel exist. I have taken artistic license with them as well. But I’ve made them real enough that you would think that they actually do exist!
As for the family ties in the novel – because it wouldn’t be a Le Veque novel without family ties - Jasper de Lara is the son of Liam de Lara, who is Tate de Lara’s (DRAGONBLADE) adoptive brother. Jasper’s wife is a du Bois from Rhys du Bois’ mother’s family (SPECTRE OF THE SWORD). There are de Lohrs in this novel and one in particular I think you’ll like – a young knight named Alexander de Lohr. He will undoubtedly receive his own novel at some point. Also, there is a minor character named Tobias Aston, who is the grandson of Dallas Aston (THE FALLS OF ERITH).
No huge politics in this book, or big battles, famous historical characters, or even deaths (surprise, I know!). There’s really no battle action at all. This novel is simply a roundabout love story between two people who couldn’t possibly be more different, and the entire story focuses on their world. It comes from the heart, not the sex organs. It reads like a soap opera. It’s a different kind of romance but one that I hope will have you cheering in the end.
A simple love story? You be the judge.
Big hugs,
Kathryn
“Your sins will find you out!”~
England, 1357 A.D.
January
“I did not think you would come!”
A young woman, rather homely in face but with a figure that would make Aphrodite proud, raced from the barn entrance towards a figure standing back in the shadows amongst the hay and horses that were crowding the structure.
It was snowing outside, meaning that most of the animals that usually spent their time outside were now crammed into the warm spaces of the barn, absolutely packed to the rafters with hay that had been well covered to keep the moisture from it. Back amongst these big clusters of hay, and back behind the crowded animals, a very big man opened his arms to the woman.
“I told you I would,” he said, brushing the dusting of snow off her shoulders. “Did you not believe me?”
The woman was overwrought with joy. Her homely features had chased most men away from her, but not this man; he had been kind to her when they’d met in town on this day. He was passing through on his return home from France but he’d sent his men ahead as he’d remained in town, slogging through the dirty piles of snow to strike up a conversation with her.
The woman had never seen such a handsome man, with hazel-gold eyes, dark hair, and a grimly square jaw with a big dimple in the center of his chin. He was a knight of the highest order with his expensive weapons, soaring height, big muscles, and brilliant white-toothed smile. She could never have known that it was that smile, that wildly alluring gesture, which had sent every maiden’s heart fluttering between Brighton and Edinburgh.
He was a de Wolfe, and a wolf, in every sense of the word.
The man was a predator.
Gates de Wolfe
, he’d introduced himself, son of the Earl of Warenton and member of the legendary de Wolfe family. And Lady Mary, daughter of the richest man in the town of Halford near the Welsh Marches, was thrilled to have the attention of so handsome and prestigious a knight. She was so thrilled that she had agreed to meet him in the barn on her family’s estate, well away from her protective father and three older brothers. With them around, no man would come near her, or at least that is what her family told her. It had nothing to do with the fact that she had a face like the hind end of a goat.
A face-like-an-ass or not, Gates wasn’t particularly looking at her face. He was looking at the full bosom and slender waist, the only things he’d been looking at all along. He liked his women full and luscious, and Lady Marie - or Mary – or whatever her name was (because he really didn’t care) fit that bill. He was only interested in what lay beneath her surcoat. Moreover, she had been most eager to his attentions and Gates knew that, once again, he’d found a willing victim. Or partner. Aye, he preferred to look at her as a partner because in his experience, the women were always quite eager to do whatever he wanted to do.
Whatever would satisfy his needs.
He’d been through this kind of routine before, too many times to count. He found a woman with whom he physically lusted after and there would be no sating that lust until he’d found his release inside the warm recesses of her body. Gates was the perfect knight, intelligent and powerful and brave, and he was the life of any gathering. He was humorous and generous, and had more friends than he could count. He was also a natural leader, one that men looked to for confidence and direction. But he had one big weakness – the female body. Women were his downfall and he knew it.
So did most of England.
But Lady Mary hadn’t heard of his unsavory reputation, thankfully, so in the guise of pretending to remove her cloak, Gates ended up pulling it over her head so he wouldn’t have to look at her butt-face. Then, he threw her back onto the hay in a darkened corner. Lady Mary giggled, and he pretended to laugh as if it was all a big joke, but the truth was that Gates didn’t want to look at that face.
For his purposes, it would only serve to deter him and his physical needs were so strong at the moment that he would not be discouraged. It had been months since he’d had a woman because the ravaged countryside of France, particularly around Poitiers that had just seen a major battle, did not have an abundance of women in general.
Gates knew that for a fact because he’d fought that battle. He’d spent months in France, dealing with mud as deep as his waist, hunger, cold, general poverty, and very little female companionship. He’d had to wait to return home to England to once again sample well-fed female flesh and, at this point, he didn’t care what she looked like. Well, not much. Therefore, he pretended to play a game as he covered Lady Mary’s face with her cloak.
He was already undressing her as she tried to pull the cloak off her head, but Gates, being slick and clever, prevented her from removing it. “Nay,” he breathed, kissing her full, quivering bosom exposed above the top of her surcoat. “Leave it there. Covering the eyes heightens the senses, my lady. Trust me when I tell you that this will make your experience as grand as you can imagine.”
Lady Mary continued to giggle but she stopped trying to tug the cloak off. “As you say,” she said. “But… may I at least pull it off at some point to gaze upon you? I do so wish to gaze upon you.”
But I do not wish to gaze upon you
, he thought dismally. “In a moment,” he murmured, kissing the top of her bosom again, like great creamy mounds of softness. “Let me guide you through this wondrous world where the only limits are your imagination.
Trust me
.”
Lady Mary settled down admirably at that point. “I do,” she whispered sincerely. “Oh, I do!”
Gates went to work, quickly. He wasn’t sure how much time they had and he didn’t want to waste it. As the horses snorted and shifted in the stall beside them, and the smell of animal dung and damp hay sat heavily upon the air, Gates pulled back the neckline of Lady Mary’s expensive surcoat. There were lacings across her breasts and he quickly loosened them, allowing him access to her big, warm breasts.
He nursed furiously against her nipples, causing the woman to gasp and buck, and then his naughty hands snaked beneath her gown, tossing aside layers of fabric, so he could get to the jewel beneath. He ran expert hands up and down her soft thighs, feeling her quiver, before tossing back the final layer of material to reveal her perfect womanhood nestled between her legs.
Gates took a moment in his frenzied quest to look at her from the waist down; she was indeed spectacular, which was rather unfair considering one had to get past that face in order to see her true beauty. He slowed a bit at this point, gently touching her inner thighs and then delicately blowing on her woman’s core, heated breath which caused Lady Mary to shriek with pleasure and surprise.
God, she’s beautiful
, he thought to himself as he carefully touched the thick outer lips, covered with a fine matting of dark curls, stroking them lightly, blowing heated air on her, and greatly exciting himself in the process. His erection was already hard as a rock. Grasping her thighs, he parted her legs wide to reveal the unfurling pink flower between them.
Lady Mary writhed and gasped as Gates fingered her delicate woman’s center. It was rare to see such untouched perfection and he felt most fortunate. Dastardly, but fortunate. He bent over, depositing tender kisses just above the dark fringe of curls, stroking the woman and feeling the moisture from her body. She was becoming maddeningly wet and he was loath to wait any longer to put his stone-hard shaft where it belonged - deep in this virginal body that was calling to him, demanding his love and his seed. If he closed his eyes, he could almost hear the breathy whispers…
… take me now!
He always had been one to obey a woman, whether her words were spoken or not. He was greatly attuned to them. With care, he inserted a finger into Lady Mary’s core, listening to her cry and gasp. The sensual intrusion had frightened her. He kissed the flat belly in his view.
“Relax, love,” he said softly. “Relax. You shall enjoy this, I swear it.”
Lady Mary was trying to find her way out from all of the fabric over her face. Not only had the cloak been thrown over her, but her skirts were up around her head as well. She was starting to suffocate.
“I want to see you now,” she begged, sounding timid. “May I please?”
Gates looked up to see that she had the cloak and skirts half-off her face. He could see that pimpled forehead and hairy brow of hers, particularly the brow – it was a solid bushy line of hair from one temple to the other.
Good Christ
! He tossed the fabric back over her head so he would not lose his erection.
“Not yet,” he said patiently. “Your senses will be heightened if you cannot see. Are you enjoying this so far?”
Lady Mary sounded disappointed. “Aye.”
Gates grinned. “Excellent,” he said as he began to untie his breeches. “You will enjoy this more in a moment. Be patient.”
Lady Mary sighed heavily, with sadness, from beneath the piles of fabric over her face. This was all so new and exciting and thrilling to her, but she was also starting to feel some frustration that she had to keep her head covered simply for the blind experience he promised her. She wasn’t entirely sure her senses were heightened because she could not see what he was doing, but there was a certain amount of anticipation as to what his next move would be. She liked what he was doing so far. It was exciting and made her feel quite womanly.
She simply wished that she could watch him.
But Gates was firm that she keep the cloak over her head. In fact, she tried to lower it slightly, simply so she could peep one eye out to watch him, but he had quickly put it back over her head and then he had leaned on it with one big arm, anchoring it down over her face so she couldn’t move it at all. Meanwhile, his free hand was at the junction between her legs, stroking her so that she eventually forgot about the fact that she could hardly breathe.
And then, she felt it.
Something big and heavy was against her woman’s core; she could feel it, warm and smooth and pushing into her. He was pushing into her slowly, rubbing at the nub of pleasure buried deep in her woman’s center as he did so, and she forgot all about the cloak over her face as her body started to twitch and jerk with pleasure. The brisk rubbing he was doing against her was making her legs quiver uncontrollably. She could feel his body as it entered hers but she was so overcome by the other sensations he was creating with her that all she could do was lay there like a mindless, boneless lump of flesh. She couldn’t respond in any way. She could feel his body pushing more deeply into hers and she waited for the flash of pain that would signal the end of her maidenhood, but he was rubbing her tender core so briskly that she almost didn’t care.
“Marrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry!”
A voice over the heavy breathing, from outside the barn, carried upon the cold air. Gates came to an immediate halt, his head shooting up, as Lady Mary propped herself up on the hay, the cloak and skirts still over her head. Clumsily, she yanked them off.
“My father!” she gasped. “He is looking for me!”
Gates was already securing his breeches, having to fold his erection back painfully as he did so.
Damnation!
He cursed silently. He’d been too slow in doing what he needed to do and now he was caught with his….
“Marrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry!”
The voice was closer now. Breeches secured, Gates was already on the move, leaving the way he’d come. There was a big grove of trees to the south of the barn and he’d tethered his horse there, sheltered from the snow beneath the heavy canopy. He was already running away as Lady Mary tried to grasp at him.
“Wait!” she cried softly. “Please… when will I see you again?”
Gates paused by the gap in the slats he had slipped in through, one leg out into the snowy night beyond. Looking at her mono-brow and pimpled face, he suddenly couldn’t remember what had him so excited about the woman to begin with. She certainly wasn’t worth risking his life over when it came to an angry father. He smiled wanly.
“In your dreams, love,” he said, blowing her a kiss purely for effect. “You will see me in your dreams.
Adieu
!”
With that, he disappeared out into the snowing darkness beyond, leaving Lady Mary flustered and as frustrated as she could possibly be. As she gasped and grunted with disappointment, trying to straighten out the clothing that Gates had thrown askew, her father and two older brothers entered the barn.
“Mary!” her father barked. “Did ye not hear me callin’ to ye, lass?”
Lady Mary was agitated as she tried to cover herself up. “I heard you,” she said, obviously unwilling to explain the real reason behind her presence in the barn on this cold and frozen night. “I… I did not want to answer you.”
Her father and two brothers came to a halt, eyeing her as she sat, open-legged, on the hay stack. “Why not?” her father demanded, wondering why his daughter’s clothing was all pulled apart. “What are ye doing out here?”
Mary wouldn’t look at any of them, trying to fasten up the top of her surcoat where Gates has ripped the laces out. “I… I wanted to be alone,” she said petulantly. “There is nowhere to be alone in that big house so I came out here to be by myself.”
