“Please,”Iwhisper, taking his hand and pulling him back to the bench in the shadows.
“No—not here.”Hisvoice is a low growl, andIsee his eyes dart to the other males in the room and then to the door.
“Hey!”one of theOrcscalls, drool dripping from his tusks.“Why’dyou let that other little priestess go and you kept that one for yourself?”
“Yeah—you oughta share!”theMinotaursnorts.
“I don’t fucking think so.”
Theron stands between me and the other males, and he seems to grow bigger somehow.Histarnished silver eyes start to glow, and his voice is much deeper when he speaks again.
“The girl comes with me,” he snarls in that deep, inhuman voice—the voice of hisDrake, maybe?Idon’t know but it sends a shiver down my spine, andIfeel a flash of fear that cuts through the unending lust of the curse.
The other males back off and the bartender raises one meaty hand.
“All right now, we don’t want noShiftingin here!YourDrakewill tear the whole place down!”
“NotShiftingas long as she stays safe with me.Noone else is touching her!”Therongrowls.“She’sMINE!”
The last words are a threatening rumble thatIcan feel in my bones.OhGoddess, my heart is pounding!I’msurprised at how possessive and protective he is of me.Hejust met me, after all.ButI’mgrateful too.Ididn’t even realizeIwas in danger until he stepped between me and the other bar patrons.
“Come on—we’re leaving.”
He takes me by the wrist and drags me out of the tavern, into the dying light of the sun.
I blink—even near twilight, it’s brighter outside than it was in the dim and dirtyAnvil.
“Thank you—Ithink,”Isay, looking around.“Butwhere…what…?”
“My place,”Therongrowls.Hestill sounds like hisDrakewants to come out and when he looks at me, his eyes are still glowing.
I don’t know if it’s safe to go anywhere with him right now—he’s so much stronger than me and still practically a stranger.Also,I’llbe missed ifIdon’t get back to the temple soon.
But the curse won’t let me go—the lust is riding me like a cruel master on a weak horse.Ican’t seem to stop it.
I find myself nodding andIdon’t even try to resist as he drags me through the village to the smithy.Besideit, there’s a neat little hut with thatch trim.
Theron drags me right through the front door andIdon’t even try to stop him.Iignore the wide eyes of the woman across the way who looks vaguely familiar—haveIseen her at the temple before?
I don’t know andIno longer care.Ionly knowIneed to get fucked to make this madness end.
10
THERON
Elowen has an almost drugged look in her wide blue eyes whenIget her into my house.Ipull her over to the broad straw-tick mattress on the wooden bed platform by the fireplace.It’scovered in a patchwork quilt that’s faded but clean—which pretty much describes the entire dwelling whichKlineleft to me.
The look in the curvy little priestess’s eyes is one of mingled resignation and need.
“Are…are you going to fuck me now?”she asks, looking at the bed with its faded quilt.Hervoice is quivering but her scent is getting hotter and hotter.She’sdeep in need by now but it’s just the curse working on her.
I shake my head firmly.
“No—Iwon’t fucking take advantage of you that way, little one.”
I saw what happened to the other priestess—the way her eyes changed, and her belly swelled immediately.Iwon’t do that toElowen—even if my shaft is hard from watching the fucking atTheAnvil.
Kline raised me better than that.
