Dragon Lords 4-Warrior Prince (15 page)

The door was still wide open and he frowned. He threw Pia inside, automatically taking in the hole in the wall and the tampered with panel.

"Shut," he hollered. The door slid closed.

Pia stumbled forward but didn’t fall. Panting, she glared at Zoran. Bitter hatred shone in her gaze. She wiped her sore chin. There was blood when she drew her hand away.

They stood for a long time, staring at the other. Slowly, Zoran took a deep breath.

"What am I to do with you, Pia?" he asked softly. No one had ever dared to stand up to him like she had. She aggravated him, made him mad with lust, and taunted him to the point of explosion. She was bold, cunning, smart, strong.

The gentleness of his tone took her by surprise, but she blinked in quick recovery. Her jaw throbbed, as she said, "You tell me, Draea Anwealda. That’s your title is it not, oh prison guard."

"It means Dragon Lord," Zoran answered, not liking the way the title came out of her snarling lips. It wasn’t respect he heard in her voice. "I’m a guard. My official title is Captain of the Guard. I control all the Draig armies. It was you who assumed I was of lower ranking."

"You let me assume."

"You never asked."

Pia’s mouth tightened.

Zoran relaxed. He took in her bloodied face and was sorry for it.

"How’s your jaw?" he asked, his voice becoming tender once more.

Her answer was a stubborn scowl.

"Damn it, Pia," Zoran fumed in frustration. "I’m not trying to be a tyrant. I’m trying to protect you. It’s not safe for you out at the training ground. Accidents happen all the time. I don’t want to see you get hurt."

"Did you ever think that I don’t want your protection," Pia said. "And if it’s the men you’re afraid of, don’t be. I can handle them. It’s not like they see me for anything more than one of the guys."

At that Zoran frowned. He’d seen the look on Hume’s face as well as the others. They were all smitten. And why wouldn’t they be? She was absolutely ravishing.

Zoran lowered his head, sighing. He could tell she really believed what she said. She truly didn’t know the effect she had on his men. She had no clue as to her own feminine power. She had no idea what her bright, open smiles could lead men to believe. He’d been young once. He knew the hormones that raged within the younger soldiers. If they thought they had a chance with such a woman, married or not, they would take it without thinking.

Running his finger through is hair, he said in frustration, "What, then, do you want from me, Pia?"

Pia hesitated. As she looked at him, she didn’t know how to answer. A myriad of emotions flooded her. She wanted his respect. She wanted his.... She took a deep, trembling breath. She wanted him to look at her with longing. She wanted him to think her beautiful--when she knew she was not. She wanted him to touch her, to kiss her.

"Freedom," she answered simply.

Mistaking her request, he turned his tortured gaze to her. "I can’t give you a divorce. I told you that already."

"I meant freedom to leave this house, to be myself, and do what I want to do. If you want me as your wife, Zoran, then treat me as a wife, not one of your men. Respect me as your wife. Respect that I’m not some simple woman who is content to cook and clean and stay home all day. That’s not who I am. I was raised on a military base. I was taught to fight and defend myself. That’s who I am. It’s what I do."

"You wish me to treat you as a wife," Zoran murmured. He braved a step forward, amazed when she didn’t turn and run. He watched her carefully, ready for her to strike at him. She didn’t move. He stopped before her, not touching her, as he said in a low tone that gave her whole body chills, "Yet, you do not act as a wife."

Pia swallowed, knowing he meant that she didn’t go to him as a wife goes to a husband. She stiffened, too afraid to answer. What could she say?

"You do not kiss me when I ask for it," Zoran continued. His eyes bore into her, as intimate as a caress of his hand, though he didn’t move to touch her. "You do not look at me with pleasure or desire. You don’t ask me to touch you. You don’t come to touch me."

With each sentence, his words got softer.

"There’s more to marriage than..." Pia frowned, looking at the floor. She couldn’t say it.

Zoran brooded in silence, waiting for her to speak.

"You ask that of me, yet there’s no honesty between us. I didn’t even know what you do all day until I snuck out and discovered if for myself. We’re strangers, Zoran. Don’t you see? How can I...? How can we...?"

"All right," Zoran said, lifting his finger to her shoulder. He trailed his touch lightly down her arm, not pressing forward with his whole hand. He had to touch her, needed to, even if it was the barest of caresses. "Here’s the deal. You want something. I want something. You give me what I want. I’ll let you have what you want. You’ll be given full freedom to roam outside these walls, so long as you let me know where you are and so long as you listen to me and heed me. This is my world, Pia. I know the dangers in it."

Pia froze, instantly rejecting the deal in her head, but agreeing to it in her body.

"What do you want?" she asked, shaking.

"I want you," Zoran began seriously. Pia gasped at the bold statement. He drew his hand down her side to her quivering ribs. "I want you to answer two questions for me."

Pia’s face fell. She wondered at the disappointment curling in her limbs.

"Is that your only stipulation?" she asked in hesitation.

Zoran edged closer, letting his hand fall full on her side. Taking his free hand, he brushed at her bloodied chin, wiping it partially clean. "Do you want there to be more?"

"No." Pia shook her head. It was a lie.

"You’re sure?" he persisted. He worked his hand beneath her black shirt to her waist.

Pia tried not to tremble. Was it just her or did his mouth draw closer? She stared at it, wishing he’d force another kiss on her.

"Yes, I’m sure," Pia breathed.

"Do we have a deal then?" Zoran asked. "You’ll answer two questions--fully and honestly?"

Pia thought of her freedom. Slowly, she nodded her head. Her voice was weak, as she answered, "Deal."

"Tell me how you got this scar."

Pia blinked. The question took her by surprise and she jerked away from his searching hand. She pressed her lips and said simply, "It was a knife. Next question?"

Zoran’s arms fell to his sides, away from her. He tried to hide his disappointment. He wouldn’t be put off. "Whose?"

"Is that your second question?"

"No, it’s part of the first," he murmured, drawing closer to her.

Pia would’ve sworn his eyes changed to a golden hue. She couldn’t think straight when he looked at her like that.

"The deal was for fully and honestly," Zoran said. "Whose knife?"

"My father’s," Pia answered. Her jaw and her eyes hardened against him.

"Your father," he repeated, somewhat awed. "Why did you call it a gift?"

"It was the last thing he ever gave me," Pia said. Her short hair had come loose in their fight and she nervously pushed it back behind her ears.

"Why?" Zoran’s hand reached to touch her again but she didn’t seem to notice it. Her eyes drifted into deeper thoughts.

"I answered your question," Pia’s voice wavered and her eyes cleared. "What is the second?"

"How did you come to owe so much money to Galaxy Brides?" Zoran expected her to say gambling or something insignificant.

Pia’s lips tightened and her eyes watered. She looked at him for a long time. When her mouth finally opened to speak, she clipped, "I’ve changed my mind. Keep your freedom. I don’t want it."

She tried to pull away. Zoran tightened his hold on her waist. "Why won’t you trust me?"

"Could it be because you don’t trust me?" Pia asked. "You keep me prisoner in this house all day. I honestly have no idea why you wanted to marry me. You won’t tell me who you are or what I am--"

"You’re a Princess. I’m a Prince. We live in a castle with the royal family," he stated bluntly.

Pia blinked, waiting for his face to break into a teasing grin. It never came.

"Are you serious?"

"Extremely," Zoran mused with a dry smile that held little pleasure. "You are a Princess of the House of Draig. The Queen is your mother, the King your father, your husband a Prince. This fortress we live in is a palace. I’m the second oldest which makes me the leader of the military and in charge of security and defense."

"Second?" she asked, listening very intently to everything he said. She could see the truth in his eyes. She was a Princess.

"You also have three new brothers," Zoran continued. His face gave nothing away. It had been his request for honesty and he would show her he could be true to his own word. "Ualan, the oldest will be King when my father dies. Yusef, beneath me, is the Captain of the Outlands. Olek, the youngest brother, is ambassador."

"That’s why the Queen was so concerned with my hair," Pia said. "I didn’t understand it earlier, but she was afraid I was going to embarrass the royal family. That’s why you don’t take me anywhere, isn’t it? You’re ashamed of me."

Zoran didn’t answer as she rushed on.

"Prince Zoran," Pia said, shaking her head. "I should’ve known. That’s why you don’t want to divorce me. You’re a Prince and it would disrupt your precious family honor and reputation. You’d much rather hide your hideous, ugly wife away from view."

"That’s not true. I’m not ashamed of you. I just don’t know if I can trust you. You don’t seem to care about my family’s honor or your own. You have no concern about how your actions will reflect on our reputations. You just do whatever you want, never listening to what I say."

"That’s because you haven’t said anything to me," Pia said. "You didn’t tell me I was a Princess and that my action affected a kingdom."

"Would you have cared?" Zoran eyed her hair. "I asked you not to cut your hair, and you did anyway."

"No, you ordered me not to do it. Everything you’ve said to me has been an order not a request. There’s a difference, Zoran. If you would’ve spoken to me reasonably, I might have listened to you. I might not have done it."

"I told you it would be considered a disfigurement," Zoran defended. "I told you it would shame both of us."

"Can we get over the hair already?" Pia asked in despair. "I know it’s ugly. I’m ugly. I get it. There’s nothing I can do about it. It will grow back. Now let it drop!"

Pia’s body lost some of its fight. Her dejected expression tore at Zoran’s chest and an unfamiliar anguish overcame him. She shook her head at him, turning to walk away.

"Just leave me alone, tyrant."

Zoran watched her go.

Chapter Ten

"Pia, wait," Zoran demanded.

Pia stiffened. For once his words sounded more like a request than a command and she couldn’t deny him. She stopped, her head hanging down, and didn’t look at him. She was too embarrassed.

"There’s more I have to tell you." he said, ready to come clean.

"Oh, there’s more?" Pia sighed, weary from their verbal battles. She would much rather use her fists. Sarcastically, she drawled, "What? Do you have another wife somewhere? Some children hiding out in the next room? Oh, don’t tell me, there’s some evil monster on the loose and I got voted as the sacrificial offering."

Zoran stalked to her, spinning her around into his arms. Her body stiffened in surprise, but he didn’t back down. His eyes flashed with liquid fire.

"Quit saying things like that. I would never let harm befall you. You’re my only wife. It’s my duty to protect you," Zoran expressed earnestly, tenderly brushing back a strand of her hair.

"I don’t need your protection, Zoran. I can take care of myself. I have always taken care of myself." Her words were soft.

"Then take something else from me," he urged gently. Zoran was emboldened when she didn’t struggle to be free of his hold. He pulled her closer.

Pia shivered. Her eyes glazed as he claimed her mouth with his. His kiss was soft, taking its time as he moved his mouth over hers. Slowly, she tried to respond. Her mouth parted, offering to him.

Zoran growled, deepening the kiss. He found her hair, crushing her face to him. Pia moaned lightly into his mouth. She lifted her hands to nestle on his strong, protecting arms. Maybe being protected wouldn’t be so bad.

To Pia’s surprise, Zoran tore his lips away with a frustrated growl. Her body ached, begging him on. She lifted her hand to stop him but then pulled it back to her side.

"I’m sorry," she said. "I know you’re trying."

He looked at her, confusion tapering through his gaze.

Pia pulled out of his arms, pushing at his forearms until he let her go. "You don’t have to kiss me if you don’t want to. It’s fine. I understand and--"

Zoran grabbed her back up into his fierce embrace. Pia moaned in surprise of the suddenness of his attack. This time, when he kissed her, he was none too gentle, letting her feel his slashing teeth, his hungry mouth, the onslaught of his uncontrolled desire.

Zoran wanted her badly, always wanted her, but had tried to hold back from her. He told himself that she needed him to be gentle. But when she moaned against his mouth, it was like a siren’s song calling him to his death. He knew he should stop, but he could little refuse the passionate link between them. His body was on fire, taking over his mind until he couldn’t think to slow his assault on her body.

He readily found her breasts, tearing at her shirt to get to them. Her scent was in his head, drugging him until he was trapped in a web of mindless obsession. He pulled away, only long enough to see the couch. Sweeping her up into his arms, he carted her to it and roughly laid her down. Pia shuddered, as he immediately came over her.

His lips were on her neck, eagerly licking and biting at her tender flesh. He found her waistband, pulling back long enough to strip her pants from her body in one swift movement. Then, when she lay naked beneath him, he devoured her breasts--teasing the tips with this tongue and teeth.

Pia gasped, her hands weakly falling back in surprise at his onslaught. Zoran groaned, a truly animalistic sound, against her. She didn’t hold back for long. Her fingers sought to fulfill an adventure of their own. Trailing over hard muscles and sinewy flesh covered in his thick tunic, she pulled him to her.