Dragon Lords 4-Warrior Prince (5 page)

The spy took off into the trees, not shifting for fear it would unmask his scent. He’d been in the Draig household for almost a year now, smelling them, eating their food. And, Sacred Cats, he was ready for the torment to be over.

* * * *

Zoran’s words rolled over Pia in complete possession. The mask was still clutched firmly in her fingers. She was amazed he wanted her so badly, that he would force her hand in removing the mask. She carried it over the flesh of his back as she moved to touch him. She continued to boil close to the brink of losing her inhibitions.

Zoran knew he had to slow down before he became mindless. Leaning back on his arms, he studied her. Pia blinked in surprise when he stopped his kisses. Taking a strand of her long blonde hair, he brushed it off of her face. He trailed his fingers over her lush lips. Lightly, without thinking, he murmured honestly, "You’re so beautiful, Pia."

Pia froze. It was the worst thing he could have said. All desire left her limbs in a mad rush as she perceived his words to be a placating lie. Slowly, she blinked.

Zoran felt the instant change in her.

"Get off me."

Zoran pulled back, confused by her hard tone. What happened? Why was she suddenly so angry?

"Get off," she said. "Or I’ll scream so loud the entire encampment will know of my displeasure."

Zoran had no choice but to pull back. Her breasts were still bare, the peaks a little red from his enthusiastic treatment of them.

Pia grabbed a piece of fur from the bed and pulled it over her chest. Making quick work, she tucked it around her shoulder in a makeshift shirt.

"You forced me to remove the mask," she said, not looking at him. She picked it off the floor and threw it at him. He caught it to his chest. "Put it back on."

Zoran scowled. He didn’t obey. Instead, he went to a torch and lit it on fire.

Pia gasped going after him to stop him. In her haste, the mask dropped from his fingers and landed on his arm. His eyes glowed instantly with golden slivers as his skin hardened in defense. Pia gasped, confused.

Zoran pulled back from her. He turned around before she could see the beginnings of his shift. It wouldn’t do to give her more reason to reject him.

When he turned back around, she was trying to stomp out the fire with her slippered foot. It did no good. The mask was destroyed. Angry, she looked up at him.

Placing her hand on her hips, she demanded, "Let me see your arm."

"It’s fine," he grumbled.

"You’re burnt." Although her words spoke of concern, her features expressed annoyance.

"It’s fine," Zoran answered uncomfortably, not used to being coddled.

Pia huffed. Going to him, she grabbed his arm and lifted it to the light. It was fine. The flesh was unharmed.

"How?" she questioned in awe. "I saw ... I felt you jolt."

"I was trying to stay your attack," he lied. In truth, his arm had shifted with the hard armor of his changing just in time to save his skin.

"Oh," Pia breathed. Realizing she held his arm and was standing a little too close, she dropped it with a harsh push and stepped back. Recapturing her outrage, she asked, "Now what, you dolt? You ruined the mask."

"Now you are my bride," Zoran said, commandingly. He placed his strong hands on his hips, daring her to deny his claim to her.

"I’m not!" Pia debated. Her heart beat erratically as she looked at him. "You forced my hand."

"Prove it," he said with an aggravating smirk pulling at his expression.

Oh, but he was handsome. Pia shivered.

"If you like," he continued. "I can take it up with your corporation. I’m sure they will see things my way."

"You bastard! You can’t do this to me!"

"I already have," he answered, liking this game of domination. He went to the table and poured himself some wine. She glared at him as if he were insane when he lifted her goblet to her in offering.

"I hate wine," she ground out.

Zoran shrugged, having guessed as much. Her lips didn’t taste of it when he’d kissed her and he knew she hadn’t drunk it.

"Why do you do this? What could you possibly have to gain in marrying me?"

Zoran tried not to flinch at her obvious displeasure in him. Setting the wine goblet down, he turned to her. His body hadn’t cooled as easily as hers.

"Are you just a monster? Is that it?" Pia was thoroughly confused. Throwing up her hands, she said, "For you must be a sadist to make me stay here."

Zoran’s jaw hardened and his eyes became dark. "Being my wife brings you pain?"

Pia gulped. Well, truthfully, it thrilled her on a baser level, which in turn terrified her, which in turn made her angry because she shouldn’t let him get to her, which in turn irritated her because she shouldn’t have cared enough in the first place.

Zoran came forward, swiftly taking her up in his arms. She didn’t answer fast enough for him. Touching her cheek, he said, "Maybe I should show you the pleasure of belonging to me."

"I’m not property," she stated, jerking her face from him. She wanted his anger back. She needed it. She couldn’t fight this gentleness.

"No," he agreed, to her greater distress. "You’re not. But you are mine, just as I am yours."

"I don’t want you," she lied.

"Not yet," he answered quickly, purposefully mistaking her words for a challenge. "But give me a chance. I’ll make you beg for me."

"I don’t beg, Zoran." Pia’s words lacked heat as she struggled to be free. He held tight. His soft accented words combined with the thrilling strength of his body was doing something to her head, making her weak-kneed and pliable.

"Your lips don’t," Zoran agreed, knowing she would never ask him for what she so obviously wanted. "But your body does. I can smell it on you."

"You smell me," she grimaced. "Then let me go and I’ll take a bath."

"You will bathe for me?" Zoran asked, grinning. He was enjoying himself way more than he should’ve been.

"Oh," Pia harrumphed sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Please."

"Please?" Zoran asked softly, moving forward as if to nuzzle her neck. Her arms were trapped to her sides so she couldn’t punch him, but it didn’t stop her from trying to head-butt him. He pulled back just in time.

"So much passion," he mused in a low sultry voice that gave her chills.

"Not for you."

"You have a sharp tongue, don’t you wife?" Zoran continued in a murmur.

Pia saw approval in him and wondered at it. He leaned as if to kiss her. She tried to bite him.

Zoran snapped his head back, smiling. "I bite back."

"Try it and you’re dead."

"It’s not good to threaten your life mate. If I die you will be alone."

"If you’re my life mate, your life must be very short indeed." Wiggling for good measure, Pia didn’t succeed in setting herself free. He was too strong. "And make no mistake, you can be replaced."

Zoran almost groaned in agony when she rubbed against his already potent erection. It was the wrong tactic if she wanted him to let her go. He opened his mouth to rebut, but her words stopped him.

"Why do you want me as a wife?" Pia asked. There was no vulnerability in the hard question. "Why would you want a wife that doesn’t want you?"

"Quit saying that you don’t want me. I can smell the fragrance--"

"Finish that and I promise to knock your teeth out of your head," she warned.

"Are you ashamed?" he asked, surprised by the swift, maiden-like defense.

"Ashamed? The only thing I’m ashamed of is finding myself here with yo--u, ahhh."

Zoran swooped in for the kiss, delighting in the soft feminine sound of her answering moan.

Pia froze. She melted instantly at the expert movement of his lips. His skill was too much for her innocence. She forgot the battle as she softened into his arms.

Zoran broke free, seeing her dazed eyes staring back at him in wide wonder. This was more like it. Her mouth was still parted, as if she could still feel his lips. He smiled in manly satisfaction.

"Tell me how one so beautiful gained so much fire." His eyes couldn’t stop looking at the fine structure of her face.

Pia’s mouth snapped shut and her face dropped into a mask of ice. She tore from his arms with a burst of force.

"Mock me again an--" she began in warning, pointing at him.

Zoran blinked, confused. He lifted his hands to stop her words. "I know, you’ll kill me or maim me in some impossible way."

"I’ll do it," Pia said, angered that he didn’t think she could.

"I’m sure you’d try," Zoran admitted. A small devilish part of him looked forward to the idea.

Pia adjusted her fur shirt. Her eyes were hot pools of lava as she tried to ignore him. He thought her captivating in her tirade. To his delight, he saw the curve of her breast peek from beneath the fur before she righted it.

"Go away," she said. "I want to take a bath."

"I can’t," he shrugged, settling down on the fur and turning toward the tub with the obvious intent to watch her. "This is my tent and I cannot leave."

"What if I set it on fire? Could you leave then?" Pia asked with a smirk. The idea had some merit.

"It won’t burn. See how the torches touch it," Zoran mused, absently. He was too busy imagining the different positions he could take her in.

Zoran sat near to where Pia stood. Lifting his hand, he touched her leg playfully and tried to run his palm up beneath the seam of her red gown. She swatted at him and stepped away.

"Are you always this impossible?" she huffed. He grinned.

Pia moved to tug at the big piece of fur beneath him. After a mighty struggle, he lifted his backside and let her have it. As she moved, his hand lifted, pulling the end of her fur shirt. With a jerk, her breasts fell bare and he smiled with pure delight. She gasped, hiding beneath the fur coverlet.

"You brute," she mumbled.

His smile widened.

Curiously, he watched her as she kept her strong back to him. Taking the coverlet, she draped it on two torch sconces and made a wall between him and the tub. Then, ducking behind the fur, she eyed it for holes.

"You’d better keep back if you value your manhood," she said.

"This does not please me," Zoran yelled, just to be irritating.

"I don’t really care." Pia shrugged out of her tattered red wedding dress. She stepped into the warm bath and almost sighed in relief as she sunk into its depths.

"Can I join you?" Zoran called, hearing her splash. His body was on fire and he knew it wouldn’t be a good idea.

"I’ll have to drown you." Closing her eyes, Pia rolled her neck on the edge.

"May I wash you, then?" he tried, his voice dipping.

"Pain," Pia growled in dark response. "Death and pain."

Zoran smirked, hearing her yawn. Their little foreplay workout had taken a lot out of her. Glancing down at his enthusiastic erection, he sighed. Too bad it couldn’t take anything out of him.

"So you admit you’re staying?" Zoran asked. The imaginary gremlin on his shoulder made him say it.

"I have no choice." Pia moved to lather her arms. If he turned her into the corporation, the Rayvikians would find her. Besides, she liked this planet and its culture. The only thing she didn’t like was her husband. But, hey, no life could be perfect. If anything, she’d have someone to spar with and to aggravate. The imaginary gremlin on her shoulder winked at her and grinned.

Zoran frowned at her dejected words. Coming to sit on the other side of the fur, he gave her privacy. He looked at the fur curtain, but couldn’t see through it.

"I’ll make you a good husband, Pia," Zoran said seriously, all teasing gone from his tone. His arm reached around the fur barrier and his wrist draped onto the side of the bath so that his hand dipped into the water.

Pia jumped hearing his voice so near to her. She tensed, ready to strike. When his head didn’t follow behind it, she relaxed. Absently, his finger swirled in the surface.

"That remains to be seen," Pia answered after a moment, not giving an inch. She looked at the fur, glad her voice didn’t waver. Tears entered unbidden into her eyes.

"We will have strong sons," Zoran said softly, thinking more of making them than of having them. "I’ll give you a strong family that will make you proud."

She watched his powerful fingers thoughtfully rippling the water, tempted to reach her foot to them so she could feel his light touch on her leg. She refused to move, content to stare at him. Her eyes became mesmerized by the undulation he caused on the water.

"I don’t know that I want children," Pia said truthfully. The idea made her heart nearly explode in her chest with panic. "I’m not the nurturing type, Zoran."

Zoran trembled at her words. He drew his fingers back, flicking the water off of them as his arm once again disappeared behind the curtain. He wanted children desperately, many fine warrior sons that would make them both proud. He decided not to press the issue. There would be plenty of time for that.

Pia’s hair was pulled back in the bun and she left it, refusing to wash the locks. Twirling a wayward piece thoughtfully, she asked, "Do you have a sharp knife?"

"I have several," he mused quietly.

"I meant here, now, with you."

"No, why?" He almost chuckled. Was she going to try and skewer him?

"No reason, really. I just wanted to cut off this hair. The corporation made me grow it out and it’s too heavy."

Zoran balked. He pulled back the fur to see if she was serious.

"Get out!" Pia screamed at him, trying to cover her body with her hands. Curling into a ball, she glared at him.

Zoran ignored her. He looked at her beautiful golden locks and, like a most typical male, declared, "You are not cutting your hair!"

Pia’s eyebrow shot up. Oh, she was definitely shaving her head now, if only to aggravate him.

"You have no say in it," she laughed, irritating him further. Her hazel eyes danced with delight. "I’ll do whatever I please. It’s my hair."

"Why would you purposefully disfigure yourself?" he asked in surprise. "Do you seek to shame yourself, shame us?"

"It’s just hair, Zoran," she shrugged. "Now go away so I can get dressed."