Positively enchanting.
The thought struck me like lightning, unwelcome and immediate. This female had violated my sanctuary, stolen from my hoard, and triggered every protective instinct bred into my bones. Yet here I stood, transfixed by the elegant curve of her jaw and the heated way her gaze raked over my bare chest.
Light reflected off metal as she took a swipe at me.
I easily parried.
She spun away from my counterattack and dropped into a defensive stance, taking my measure.
I mirrored her stance, looking pointedly at her blades. “You brought daggers to a sword fight?”
Her chin lifted in defiance, and the corner of her lips tilted into a sneer. “I hear it’s not the size of the weapon, but how you use it.” Her voice was like honey mead: smooth, rich, and utterly intoxicating, making it difficult to focus on her words.
“Then you have never faced a master of the blade. Yield.”
Her eyes widened. “Why would I do a stupid thing like that?”
“Because if you come peacefully, I will allow you to live.”
Her gaze darted behind me toward the breach. The hedge should have been impervious to blades, but she had somehow carved a path through it. Her movement exposed the metal pendant that hung from a short leather cord, nestled against the exposed flesh of her sternum. Only those attuned to the magic could bear the touch of my sire’s creations, meaning someone must have gifted her entry to my lands. But who?
“Where did you get that?” I asked.
Her eyes flickered down to follow my gaze, and her lips pursed together. Offering no response, she watched me with those woodland-green eyes, calculating her next move.
“I asked you a question.”
She shifted her weight, muscles coiling beneath her form-fitting clothes. “Does it matter?”
“Absolutely.” I advanced a step, sword still raised. “Someone has betrayed my family, and I will have their name.”
Her jaw clenched.
The silence gnawed at me, fraying the edges of my patience. “Answer me.”
Defiance sparked in her gaze. “Or what?”
Scales prickled my skin, begging to emerge and teach her proper deference. Instead, I closed the distance between us in three strides. She raised her daggers, but I spun out of her reach and caught both wrists in one hand, yanking them above her head and forcing her onto her toes.
“Or I will carve my answers from your tongue.”
“Let go!”
Soft curves and taut muscle ground against me as she struggled to get free. Her maddeningly elusive scent finally teased my nostrils, only to fade again before I could discern it.
I tightened my grip on her wrists until she released both daggers. They tumbled to the ground at our feet.
“You willaccompany me to my dungeon, where you will remain until you cooperate.”
“Like hell I will.”
I chuckled. “You seem to be under the misconception that you have options, but the moment you touched my treasure, you forfeited your freedom.” I released my sword, letting magic store it, and wrapped my now-free arm around her waist. She kicked at my shins and twisted in my grasp, but I drew her flush against me, hoisting her off the ground. “Yield.”
“This is kidnapping!”
“That is a ridiculous claim.” I strode toward the manor, dragging her along. “You trespassed on my land and stole my property. Your head is mine to take. Instead, I offer clemency and a chance to make amends for your transgressions. A show of gratitude would be prudent, lest I change my mind.”
She only bucked harder. “Put me down, you overgrown?—”
