The Lady Prince Read online

  “Is that so?” Daene blocked her progress.

  “What are you doing?” Lyra could hear the breathiness in her words.

  “Merely testing the soundness of your theory.”

  Lyra was a virgin, but she was no fool. She knew what he intended, yet she did nothing to stop him. His black eyes challenged her to stop him, and she held her ground. She even tilted her face up to him surprising him. He didn’t remain surprised for long as he kissed her lightly at first. His lips were soft but firm, and he teased the seam of her lips with his tongue until she opened for him. His tongue swept into her mouth like a thief, taking everything he wanted from her.

  Lyra reached up and touched the black hair with the boldly colored tips. It felt different from human hair. The strands were thicker and silkier. Lyra ran her fingers through his hair until she lightly grazed his scalp with her nails. A low rumble seemed to come from his chest, and he pulled her tighter against him.

  His skin warmed, sending jolts of warm energy through her body. She could feel the wetness between her legs as he ground his erection against her. Their tongues dueled as they tasted each other greedily. Daene pulled her down to the lush green grass. His body hovered over hers on all fours as he broke the kiss to look down at her. His eyes had bled back to red.

  “You are playing with fire, Lady Prince,” he said unsteadily as he leaned down and placed a hot kiss on the side of her neck. His tongue trailed down until it entered the valley of her breasts. He bit lightly into the fleshy globe that was exposed through the cut of the vest.

  “I am not the one testing theories,” Lyra responded, wondering where her resistance went when it came to him. She would lose her virginity to this thief and murderer if she weren’t careful. “Now, if you are done, remove yourself.”

  Daene looked down at her and then smiled wickedly at her. Lyra knew his look meant trouble. He balanced himself on one arm, and Lyra watched with wide eyes as he reached his hand down his pants and pulled his very erect cock over the band of the breeches. Lyra stared in shock at the large, exposed member. The bulbous head had one single clear drop on its surface.

  “Is this what you meant?” His tone was innocent. His look was pure devilry.

  It was the first cock Lyra had ever seen. She knew men had them, knew what they did, yet she had never seen one. She had heard experienced women talk bawdily about the private parts of men, but she had never dreamed they were so big and absolutely beautiful. Her mouth went dry, and something clenched deep in her belly as she stared at it.

  “So this is how I render you speechless. I thought perhaps there was only way to stop the flow of sharp words from your beautiful mouth,” he murmured. Using one finger, he gathered the moisture from the tip of his cock and smoothed the finger across her lips. Without thought, Lyra ran her tongue across her lip. He tasted both salty and sweet.

  Daene’s eyes began to flare brighter as he watched her. He seemed hypnotized by the sight of her licking her lips. “Let me taste you, Lyra,” he pleaded, gently looking into her eyes. “Give me the pleasure of your taste.” Lyra was stunned by her own behavior. When he began to move down her body, she could not find her voice to stop him.

  Chapter 7

  The scent of aroused virgin made his senses reel out of control. He had never felt so helpless to his desire. When she tasted his essence on her lips, he thought it the most erotic vision he’d ever seen. Her eyes were innocent. Her body was demanding experience. He promised himself one taste and he would stop. But as he undid her pants and slid them down her slim, firm thighs, he knew he was lying to himself. Her scent was stronger now that he was at the source, and it caused him to get lost in a tidal wave of desire.

  He looked down at the dark nest of curls and felt powerless to stop himself from tasting her. His tongue rejoiced at the first taste of her slick folds. Immediately, it was stamped into his mind forever. He was like a starving man at a feast made for a king. She began to writhe under him. He had to remember she was human and consciously kept his claws from unsheathing as he held her slim hips in place.

  His tongue warmed against her and he knew the rough texture of his tongue was adding friction human women found stimulating. Her hands raked at the ground as he drank greedily from her slick font. His cock demanded to enter her and claim her. Her virginity would be so sweet as his cock tore through the only barrier between them.

  Even as he feasted at her, he knew he would not take her virginity at this moment. He wanted to conquer more than just her body. As he swirled his tongue faster, she pushed her hips at him, demanding release. He would have to settle for being the first man to make her reach her peak. As if on cue with his thoughts, Lyra screamed her release as she bucked against his tongue. His strong hands kept her glued down as he continued to sensually assault her.

  In moments, she screamed hoarsely again. Daene lapped up every trace of her feminine cream. He released her hips and slid up against her body. With his breath hot against her neck, he whispered, “You are right, my Lady Prince, the willing are easy to seduce.”

  Lyra stilled underneath him, and then she pushed frantically trying to get him off of her. “You cad!” she bellowed, pulling her pants up. “Get off of me!” Daene rose and put his rather uncomfortable erection in his pants. “Have you no sense of decency!” she screamed at him as she stood.

  “No, but then decency is debatable.” He looked at her with desire-filled eyes. “Relax, Lady Prince, there is nothing wrong with being willing to share in pleasure.” She looked at him with distaste. “I am certainly more than willing to be seduced by you,” he admitted. “Is it so repugnant to want a Draegonii?” he said, softly studying her reaction carefully.

  Lyra shook her head at him in anger. Her amber eyes sparkled. She was flushed from peaking twice, yet she managed to get angry seconds later. She was so angry she sputtered a reply that he couldn’t discern if his life depended on it. Who could understand humans? Daene definitely wanted to figure this luscious creature out. He would just have to try again at seducing her. But he would not try to have her without her total acceptance of him. He looked at the sky and knew they still had hours before entering Evera.

  “Would you do me the honor of being lookout while I rest?” He tried not to laugh as he feigned all seriousness. The look she shot him suggested that he’d be better off sleeping in his enemy’s camp in boiling pitch. “I’ll be up there if you need me.” Daene scaled the tree, giving Lyra time to cool off. He had every intention of breaking down her every wall. He wanted her to admit to him that she wanted him. As long as she fought, it would be interesting. In the end, Daene planned to be the first and only man between her thighs.

  Meanwhile, he thought of Kripken and knew the man had to be stopped. He was planning on breeding half-Draegonii. Draegonii only bred with their destined human soul mates. That only meant one thing. Kripken was breeding for the purpose of numbers to enhance his position. He meant to overtake the human reigns of rule. The last time a Draegonii had attempted such a thing, they were almost wiped from the planet.

  It explained why Kripken had betrayed Daene’s family and had stolen their Dracontias stone. Each Draegonii family had one such powerful stone. Once a babe was born and reached adulthood, a piece of the stone was chipped and gifted to the member. The power within the stone allowed them to fully shift into the form of a dragon. The stone was forever giving, never dwindling. The stone had been stolen before Daene could be given the stone to be put into his necklace.

  No member since has been fully able to take on their dragon form. Naturally, they were swifter than humans, and their claws retractable. The most shifting that could be done was their eyes, and even that was controlled by emotion. Once Daene recovered what had been stolen, he could restart his family line and fully shift. But Kripken had the stone. With Kripken’s family stone as well as Daene’s it made his family line twice as strong.

  Daene settled against the trunk, knowing he was hidden from the angry view of the Lady
Prince. In time, he would tell her that her brother, as were many others, was slaughtered to cover up the politics within the Draegonii. Kripken made it look as if rogue invaders had attacked the town. But Kripken and the other two traitors had come to murder his family and obtain the stone.

  Daene had exacted revenge on the other two and had killed the members within each family that rode that night. Since he had not found the stone within their coffers, it left Kripken with possession of it. Kripken had paid the families well, and Daene had taken the money his family had been killed for and had given it to the human families anonymously that had suffered.

  His bloody journey was almost at an end, and he had already set his sights on another goal. He watched Lyra until his eyes felt heavy and he fell into a light sleep.

  * * * *

  Lyra fumed as she tossed small branches into the fire. The audacity of that Fire Beast was beyond comprehension. He used some sort of Draegonii compulsion on her then assumed…Lyra ran her hand distractedly through her short hair. She was lying to herself.

  Being truthful about situations is what kept her alive and able to fend for herself. She had to understand the situation then act accordingly. She let out a puff of air as she snapped the thin branch and threw the pieces of the twig in one at a time as she pontificated.

  First of all, she had been willing. More than willing. She had to admit to herself that the tall, gorgeous, muscle-bound Draegonii had her attention. He was a trickster, a thief, and a murderer. One did not look for those qualities in a mate. Mate? She was the Lady Prince and had obviously sworn off the concept of being married.

  Lyra threw in the remaining piece from the twig and then idly picked up another one to start the process all over again. No, it was the woman’s position in the marriage that she swore off. She wanted to be treated as an equal, not be kept as a pet. Truthfully, the idea of having someone to share your life with seemed comforting. But certainly Daene was not the sort of man to consider in that role? She barely knew him.

  Determined to work out the energy coursing through her, Lyra decided a nice, brisk walk might do the trick. A Draegonii of all things! She continued to fume. Not that she ever had any prejudices against the race. She only knew what she had been taught. To be totally honest, Daene didn’t seem to be a ruthless, virgin ravaging beast that would rob her blind and leave her for dead. In fact, if she were honest, he intrigued her.

  His coal black eyes seemed to bore right through her. His mischievous grin would flash across her mind, making her smile in turn. Lyra’s eyes scanned her surroundings as she mused. He was something of a rake, however, seducing her with apparent ease. Her cheeks grew hot as she recalled how wanton she had been as his tongue commanded her body to respond to him in a way she never thought possible. She swore to herself. There she was again, mooning over him as if she were some desperate bride-to-be.

  She had to stop thinking about him. Her thoughts should have been on the girls. Were they all right? Roarden could be trusted. He had helped her out on many occasion. In no time at all, her thoughts circled back to the Fire Beast. Her warning system was going crazy. She came to a standstill and listened to the night forest. She heard nothing, but that didn’t make the feeling go away. It was then she crouched low and looked closely at the earth.

  Fresh tracks seemed to give a wide berth around their camp. Her watchers obviously hadn’t been there long. Lyra pulled her knife from its sheath; someone was very close. A stone whizzed by her head, clipping her ear. The sharp stone sliced her ear; the blood immediately began to flow. Lyra kept calm, they were testing her, seeing how she would react. Lyra dropped to the ground, favoring the ear and whimpering.

  Foliage around her rustled and two men appeared. Two well-armed, well-muscled, and lascivious-looking men looked down at her. “Look at her,” one snarled. “She ain’t so tough. I told you this ain’t the Lady Prince.”

  He reached for her, and Lyra brought the blade up, cutting the thick vein that pulsed in his forearm. The other man grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up. It was exactly what she wanted. Lyra kneed him in the groin, then grabbed each side of his head and rammed it into her thigh.

  “Bitch!” roared the man she had cut as he charged for her. Lyra executed a perfect front kick, her foot landed in the firm midsection. She made quick work of the leather that looped around his chest with her knife, causing his sword to fall to the ground. Never stopping to think, she elbowed the recovering opponent in the throat. He went down gurgling and grabbing wildly at his throat.

  Her other attacker looked at her glassy eyed and pulled a small weapon from his pocket. Lyra froze. She knew what it was. The small contraction had a loaded spring. If he released it, a dart would shoot out, a poisoned one. “Don’t move,” he ordered trying to get his bearings. So Lyra moved, as fast as she could, darting first to one side then the other. Before he could get a lock on her, Lyra had her knife embedded deeply in his side, and she turned it. He went stock still in shock before he crashed to the ground.

  The other bandit rose still gurgling and seeming very intent on her demise as he dragged the sword up with him. Thinking quickly, Lyra pulled the small weapon from the dead man and aimed.

  Chapter 8

  As she washed away the blood and straightened up her appearance, Lyra was glad for the distraction. Ketrine was right. She was now being hunted. This small development could hinder her smuggling girls. She had to think about that later. After concealing the bodies of the two men, she headed back toward the camp. Briefly, she let her mind wander to what it would be like to have a partner in life, a mate.

  What was so wrong with a girl choosing her husband? The women were the ones who had to make a life with these men. Why parents would raise girls with fairy tales about love and marriage and living happily ever after was beyond her. It never happened, at least not to Lyra’s knowledge. Her father had been no different. He had wanted a good marriage that would profit his coffers and strengthen his political ties. It was just good business all around, mostly for the men. Lyra began to think about the problem at hand of how to get Daene into the Bridal Ceremonies without causing suspicion.

  Like a large predator waiting to pounce, Daene’s face came into her thoughts, taunting her into making a deal with him for her escape. It was a cruel thing to do. She hadn’t, as of yet, gotten him back for that. Lyra noted that it was now dark enough to make it to Evera. She needed to wake up her ethically challenged partner.

  Judging distance by the poorly lit sky was something of a task. It didn’t matter. She was fully prepared to keep at it until she met her target. Squinting, Lyra hurled the first egg-sized stone into the part of the tree she’d last seen Daene. When she heard nothing, she threw an equal-sized rock slightly to the left of where she’d thrown last. A grunt echoed in her ears, and quickly, she threw another rock. That, too, was followed by a larger grunt and a bit of cursing. Just as she had arced her arm to throw an even bigger rock, Daene’s angry voice rang out.

  “Throw another stone and I will personally slowly roast you over a single flame!”

  “Oh, I’m truly sorry.” Lyra feigned innocence. “I called and you didn’t answer.” She threw another rock and this time, she heard the thud of it as it hit the intended target.

  “Woman!” Daene bellowed. “I think it is obvious I am awake!”

  Lyra could hear the sound of bark tearing as Daene climbed out of the tree. “I just wanted to make sure you weren’t talking in your sleep.” Lyra tried in vain to keep her voice innocent, but the snicker could not be held back. As Daene’s booted feet hit the ground, Lyra saw why the bark was being viciously torn. Large claws extended from his fingers, and slowly, he retracted them.

  “I do not nor have I ever talked in my sleep,” he growled at her through gritted teeth. Lyra could see where the rock hit him in the head. It was a small gash, and it was already healing.

  “Well I wouldn’t know, it’s not like I—” Lyra stopped her sentence just in time. Daene, how
ever, had already jumped on it.

  “You’re more than welcome to my bed to find out firsthand.”

  Lyra was glad he couldn’t see her blush. Or maybe he could. She was a lot more comfortable thinking he could not. “We need to get moving.” Lyra swallowed. As long a she was being hunted, it might jeopardize the plans they had in Evera.

  “I will return shortly,” he announced, looking at her with deep suspicion as he wiped away the smudge of blood from his already-healed head.

  “What? What are you planning, Fire Beast? I have no plans of entering anything blind.”

  “Nor would I want you to. That would prove a hindrance to me as well. There is something I must obtain before we can start. No offense, but you would only slow me down.” Then Daene left her by the fire with her mouth gaping open in astonishment. Right then, Lyra wished she had thrown at least one more rock.

  * * * *

  Lyra could do nothing but wait. A short time later, Daene appeared grinning with something stashed under his arm and a satchel across his chest. Before Lyra could ask, he threw it at her. Instinctively, Lyra caught it and realized it was a dress.

  “You got me a dress?” Lyra eyed the dress in appreciation. It had been a long time since she owned, let alone worn a dress.

  “You cannot show up at the events dressed as you are. You are playing the role of wife. Therefore, you must look like one.” Daene took the satchel that was hung across his chest and tossed that to her as well. “Get dressed quickly. A crowd is amassing at the gates, and they won’t be checking thoroughly.”

  “Where did you get these?” Lyra paused looking at the dress. “Did you just steal these?”

  “Steal? No, my dear, someone was giving them away. They left them in plain sight on a line.”

  “You stole them from a drying line?” Lyra had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling at his twisted logic. “I assume these are the shoes and accessories. They left these out as well?” Lyra held up the satchel.