He jerked me against his chest, lifted me off my feet, and kissed me. I was so shocked by it that I went slack, including my lips. His tongue slipped into my mouth and stroked mine gently. It seduced with soft, insistent strokes even as his brutal hands tightened on me. My body—already confused by the roller coaster of arousal, fear, relief, and understanding—went straight back into an aroused state without any permission from me. I groaned and wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders, pulling him even closer.
Braxis carried me forward and laid me down on the bed. His body covered mine but I didn't feel imprisoned by him. I wanted him closer. I moved my hands to his back and clawed him urgently. His mouth began to move just as frantically, almost imploring in the way he brushed his lips lightly over mine, then pressed forward. His tongue began to thrust and his shaft hardened against my thigh, but he didn't paw at me or demand more. He just kept kissing me as if it were all he wanted to do. It felt like it would go on forever.
But then he stopped.
Braxis pulled back and stared down at me. His stare lacked its usual confidence and his lips trembled just the slightest bit. “Don't ever run from me, Amara. It brings out urges that are hard to control.” He cupped my cheek in his palm. “It makes me want tochase. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“I don't think you do.” Braxis brushed his lips over mine. “If you had denied me that kiss, I'm not sure what I would have done. I needed something to quell the need to hunt. A need that multiplied when Rusalla told me that another man had caught you first.” He let out a long breath and pressed his forehead to mine. “Maybe I am the brutish primitive you think I am. But I don't want to be. So, please, don't run from me again.”
“I won't.” I don't know what I was thinking—probably nothing at all—but I laid my hand on his cheek.
Braxis let out another breath; it fanned against my lips. I opened my mouth and breathed it in. He groaned his way down into another kiss but halfway through it, I regained my senses. I remembered who he was and who I was and who stood between us even when they were millions of miles away. I pushed against his chest and turned my head aside. Braxis rolled onto his back beside me and closed his eyes with another groan—this one tormented. His brutal, warrior hand rose to rub his temple. I sat up and got off the bed, putting more distance between us.
“Tell me what he did, Amara,” Braxis demanded without looking at me.
“No.”
He sat up abruptly and growled, “Did he rape you?”
“No,” I said again.
His shoulders relaxed a little. “But he tried.”
“He tried,” I finally admitted. “And I crushed his cock in my fist.”
Braxis gaped at me for three heartbeats and then let out a booming laugh that startled me. I flinched and gaped at him. He leaned forward onto his knees and continued to laugh.
“I'm glad you find my near-rape so amusing,” I huffed.
His laughter abruptly died. “How near?”
I swallowed and looked away. “Not as near as you've gotten.”
“Fucking Hell!” Braxis roared. “Are you truly going to throw that in my face now?”
I shrugged.
If you want to be forgiven, you must first forgive,Rusalla's words came back to haunt me.
“I'm sorry,” I whispered. “You're right. He was nothing like you. Even when you were cruel, you weren't like him.”
Braxis stood and came to me. He took my hand. “What did he do, Amara? Please, I have to know or I will imagine terrible things.”
I took a deep breath before reporting the attack with as little emotion as I could. “He pushed me up against a wall and subdued me. When he realized that he couldn't rape me while standing, he shoved me onto the ground and pulled up my skirts.”
Braxis' hand tightened on mine and his eyes shifted back to red.
“He grabbed my breast and I told him that I would let him have sex with me,” I went on quickly before I lost my nerve. “He released my hands and I grabbed his cock and squeezed hard. He doubled over in pain and I ran. He chased me but that's when Rusalla found me.”
Braxis lifted his head and roared. I shrank back but even in his fury, he gentled his grip on my hand. But he didn't release me. Instead, Braxis strode from the room and took me with him. We went back to the rec room, where it appeared that most of the men spent their free time. Warriors were training with swords and shields in the athletic area to the left of the entrance and some drinking in the dining area to the right. There were even some men swimming in the pool. None of them were Granelt.
“Bring me Granelt!” Braxis shouted.
Every man went still and then a few of them ran from the room. Braxis took me to a dining table and held out a chair for me. I sat down and watched him nervously. His eyes were still red but he hadn't shifted into his battleform so Granelt still had a chance to make it through this alive. I hoped. If Braxis killed one of his men over me, I knew he'd lose their respect and I'd win another measure of hatred. They might even mutiny and then I'd really be fucked—literally. But I didn't know what to do to stop him.
Braxis stood beside me with his legs spread and arms crossed, waiting for the man who assaulted me to appear. When Granelt finally came into the room—escorted but not restrained—Braxis didn't give any sign of noticing. He kept his furious gaze fixed ahead of him. Granelt met my stare as he approached and sneered at me with an evil promise in his eyes. He appeared remarkably hale for a man who just had his dick crushed.
