Temperance (32 page)

“Wasn’t running,” she managed to get out before her fear rendered her speechless.

“Didn’t look that way to me.”

She could hear the blood rushing around her ears as Marcus raised the torch, and then traced the back of his fingers down her temple and cheek. She knew he was studying the line on her face and suddenly, fear was the last thing she was feeling.
 

Instead, the emotion she felt welling inside of her was a burning, hot rage—rage at Kai.

How dare he leave her alone, in the hands of this man?

So she didn’t want to have sex with him. Would he really leave her here to be raped? Or worse…raped and killed?

No, he wouldn’t. But how do I know that? He might. Scratch that. He did.

Naeve’s thoughts seemed to be a jumble of confusion as her fear and rage mixed together and swirled inside of her. She could feel her anger rising as Marcus’s fingers made it past her neck and was now touching the strap of her dress. The same strap Kai had lowered earlier.

“Don’t touch me,” she heard herself saying but didn’t recognize the low threat in her voice.

“Who’s going to stop me? You, rabbit?”

Naeve was sure he expected her to cower, but what he didn’t expect was her right knee as she lifted her leg and kneed him as hard as she could between the thighs.
 

With a harsh grunt of pain, Marcus dropped the torch to the ground and Naeve pushed past him and ran for her life.

She didn’t care where she was headed all she knew was that she wasn’t about to stay there. She bolted down the hallway in the direction she’d come, past the entryway to the dinning room, and found herself in the foyer. It was dark outside now, and there was no sunlight shining in the window above the stairwell.

With her heart thundering, and the threat of Kai’s men behind her, she decided the stairs looked like the best option. Maybe if she got up them, she could find somewhere to hide. Racing toward them, she took them as quickly as she could and by the time she reached the top landing she was huffing from the exertion.
 

She looked around frantically, and noticed it was completely dark off to the right but down to the left there were several torches lit. Deciding her best bet of hiding was in the dark, she raced down the darkened hall, all the way to the end where there was a shut door.

This part of the castle looked abandoned, and as she glanced back to the stairwell and saw the flickering of shadowed flames on the wall, Naeve reached out, turned the handle, and shoved open the door.

Stepping into the room, she quickly turned and shut it, resting her forehead on the wood as she tried to catch her breath. She closed her eyes and listened for any sounds that she could hear, and as she waited with her eyes squeezed shut, she thought she may very well die from a heart attack with the way it was racing.

 
It wasn’t until a hand landed on her shoulder that she realized she was very much alive, because that was when she let out a scream that could have very well brought down the walls around her.

The second his bedroom door flung opened, Kai grabbed the dagger off the trunk by his bed and turned, ready for a fight. He was halfway through undressing but that didn’t mean he was any less prepared. No one entered his chambers without first announcing themself—but then he saw her.

Naeve ran inside without even glancing his way. She shut the door like evil itself was chasing her very steps, and stood there with her forehead pressed to the wood. He saw her shoulders shake in silence and knew right away that she was terrified.

Throwing his blade on the bed, Kai made his way across the room and when he reached her, placed a hand on her shoulder. The loud scream that ripped through the air had him turning her around, pressing her against the door, and clamping his hand over her mouth.

“Shh,” he hissed, as he brought his face down close to hers.

Her eyes were as big as saucers as she blinked up at him, and when she finally realized who he was she obeyed.

Kai strained to listen to what was outside his door, and could hear the booted feet of his men walking around his floor. They knew better than to come down to his wing without permission or need, so of that he was not worried.
 

What was weighing on him though was Naeve’s fear. He wanted an explanation as to why she was running and hiding, because it was clear that
she
believed someone was after her.

As they stood there face to face he could feel her warm breath heat his palm with every exhale, and when the sound of his men dissipated he also became aware of the fact that she was still in her dingy dress while
he
was only wearing his breeches.

Several minutes passed with her against the door and him against her front in the silence of his dimly lit bedroom. Once he decided they were safe enough, he was about to remove his hand when he felt her strong teeth bite down into the fleshy part beneath his thumb.

“
Gods
, Naeve,” he cursed, and pulled his hand away. “What is the matter with you?”

“With me? You’re one to talk. You left me out there for your men to do whatever they want with me!”

Offended by her accusation, Kai’s temper and pent-up frustration took a swift hold of him as he grabbed her dress by the neckline and jerked her forward off the door. Her hands came up and landed on his naked chest to steady herself, and his cock took instant notice.

“I didn’t do any such thing,” he growled. “Why would I leave you to the others when I so obviously want you for myself?” He jammed his hips against her and felt her nails dig into his chest. “I told Marcus to take you back to your room.”

“Yeah?” she sneered up at him, and the anger in her eyes was apparent. “Well, he did try and take me. Up against one of the walls in your magnificent castle. You’re nothing but a bunch of animals,” she spat out.

A red haze of rage clouded his vision as he repeated in his mind what she’d just told him, then he pushed her away and took a step back.

“What did you say?”

“You’re a bunch of—”

“—Not that,” he cut her off bitingly. “What did Marcus do to you?”

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. When it appeared she was going to remain stubbornly quiet, he walked forward and had her backing up until she hit the door.

“What. Did. He. Do. To. You?”

She dropped her arms down by her side obviously knowing she was defeated.

“He asked me if I was running.”

Kai could feel a twitch begin in his eyebrow but remained silent as she continued.

“I told him no, hoping he’d show me back to my room like you said he would. But…but then he touched me.”

Her voice shook as her eyes filled with tears, and Kai felt the intense need to track Marcus down and stick his sword through him.

“I told him not to touch me and he…he said,” she stuttered, losing her train of thought, and Kai knew it was because his expression must have conveyed his murderous intentions.

“What? What did he say?”

She pondered over the question for a moment and then replied, “He asked me who was going to stop him.”

I’m going to stop him. That’s who.
 

Kai couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt such fury—or betrayal.
 

He’d trusted Marcus. Trusted him with Naeve, and now?
 

Now he was going to kill him.

He walked over to where he’d placed his sword earlier. Picking it up, he was about to go and hunt the man down when he heard—

“Where are you going?”

He stilled where he was but said nothing as soft fingers lightly grazed over his skin. He swallowed back a protest when she touched the scar that started just under his left shoulder blade, before trailing them down his ribs.
 

That was when she asked again, “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to find Marcus, and remind him why I’m the best swordsman in Arcania. Right before I end his traitorous life.”

He wondered how she would react to such a vow, but what he got was not what he expected. She dug her nails into the flesh of his side and then ran her other hand around his naked waist.
 

He felt her breath against his spine and then she asked, “Are you going to kill him?”

He wondered at the tone of her voice. It was…curious.

“He disobeyed a direct order. To keep you safe.”

When all that met his ears was silence, he decided to turn and face her to gauge what she may be thinking. She released him and lowered her arms to her side as he stood there before her.

“He lay his hands on you to hurt you. I will not tolerate such actions between these walls. We are not animals, Naeve. We are men.”

“Men who haven’t seen or touched a woman in years, you said so yourself.”

“But men just the same. My mother ran Claremont for years after my father passed, and did it with courage and dignity. Rape has never been permitted within these halls, and it will not be permitted now.”
 

He made a move to step by her, but she stopped him with a touch to his bare arm.

“Kai?”

The rage that had been building inside of him simmered just under the surface, and he could feel it straining at the tight confines.
 

“Don’t leave me here.”

Her words were soft as if she were ashamed to voice them, and then she walked in front of him and aimed pleading eyes up at him.

“I don’t want to be alone. Not right now.”

She ran her fingers down to his wrist and then traced them over the hand he had clenched around the hilt of his sword. Her eyes followed what she was touching, and as her fingers traced the intricate patterns in the iron she raised her gaze back to his.
 

Up until now, he’d never been more aware of his body than he was in that moment. He felt as though every nerve ending was alive as she touched only his fingers, which were holding a deadly weapon inches from her.

“When I first met you, you terrified me,” she confessed, and placed her palm on his chest. “But now you’re the only place I feel safe. Please stay.”
 

Kai licked his lips but otherwise remained still as she slid her hand up over his nipple. Her mood seemed to be shifting right before his very eyes.
 

He’d noticed a distinct change in her since their first meeting. Where she’d once been an advocate of temperance wherever he was concerned, she now exhibited no desire for self-restraint or moderation.
 

“Is this your bedroom?”

Realizing she expected an answer, he tried to push aside his raging emotions and concentrate on the hand now absently stroking his skin.

“These are my sleeping chambers, yes.”

She pulled her eyes from his to look at the enormous bed in the room. Lowering her hand, she let go of him and walked over to the end of it before spinning back to face him.

“Well,” she announced in a voice that sounded full of false cheer. “It looks big enough to sleep five people your size. I’m sure you can spare a side for little old me.”

Totally taken off guard by her mood
and
the announcement, Kai blinked over at her as she made her way around to the side of his bed and placed a knee on it.

“Yep,” she said, her voice still a little too high pitched to sound convincing as she tested the mattress. “This will do just fine.”

“You want to sleep in here? With me?”

He knew he sounded like a halfwit but he was just trying to keep up. She’d gone from angry, to scared, and now…he had no clue what this was.
 

Shock maybe?

“Well, makes sense don’t you think? I’m scared and helpless, you’re strong and…” she trailed off and looked down at his weapon. “Have a sword. Plus, you should never make hasty decisions. You know, like killing people.”

* * *

Naeve was trying her hardest to hide how scared she really was as she stared over at Kai who was looking at her like she’d lost her mind. Which maybe she had, she wasn’t so sure anymore.
 

All she knew was that when she was with him, she could breathe. She wasn’t petrified that someone would hurt her or kill her. Which seemed ludicrous considering he was the one she’d feared the most in the beginning.

“You don’t wish for me to kill, Marcus?”

She kept her eyes on him as he studied her, and she wondered if he really intended to kill his second in command, if she gave the word. As much as Marcus intimidated her, and she had no idea what would have happened if she hadn’t gotten away, she wasn’t sure that what he did deserved death.
 

Is that what happened here, in this land? Death without trial?

And did he really do anything, other than threaten her?
 

“Naeve?”

Her name brought her out of her musings and had her looking back at the half dressed man staring her way.
 

When she’d first run in here she hadn’t even seen Kai in the room, and when she’d turned around and been faced with all of his nakedness she couldn’t believe her body responded just as it had down in the dining hall.