Morfyd didn’t know what to say. Gwenvael had gone drinking with Brastias on many occasions over the last three years. They’d always been good friends, it seemed. And not only that, but this was Gwenvael. To quote their own mother, “Not a p**sy he hasn’t loved.”
“Gwenvael, have you lost your mind?”
“You’re my sister, Morfyd. Not some whore he picked up on the street…or Keita.” It suddenly struck her—Gwenvael felt protective of her. She didn’t think he felt protective of anything or anyone. Once again…this was Gwenvael!
Her younger brother pointed a warning finger at Brastias with his free hand since he seemed bound and determined not to release his hold on her. “You just stay away from my sister. Or we truly will have problems, general.” She winced at the way he sneered that last bit.
Gwenvael walked off, dragging Morfyd behind him. She looked back at a shocked Brastias and prayed he could read lips since she couldn’t risk Gwenvael hearing her.
She mouthed, “Later.”
Based on his relieved smile, he read lips just fine.
* * *
“Stop it!” Talaith skirted around the bed, trying to keep it between her and Briec. “They’re waiting for us.”
“They can wait. Come here.” He moved again and so did she.
“It’s in our honor, Briec.” Annwyl insisted on throwing this feast in honor of their union. It was a sweet gesture from her friend. “We can’t miss it.”
“Who said anything about missing it? I’m just talking about making a dramatic entrance…in an hour or two.” Again he moved, and again so did she.
“This is ridiculous.” She stood up straight. “I’m a grown woman with a daughter nearly seventeen winters.”
“In another six moons.”
“And I refuse to allow myself to be chased around a bed like some untried virgin.”
“Good.” He went for her again and Talaith squealed and ran. He caught up with her by the door and she knew if he got his hands under her dress she was doomed. But before he could get his hands anywhere, a knock at the door pulled them up short.
“Piss off,” he barked at the door.
“Come in,” she yelled over him.
She batted at his hands as the door swung open. When Izzy’s smirking face came around the corner, Briec stepped away from Talaith. “I told you to get your hands off me, woman… I’m a respectable dragon. Not some whore you picked up on the street.”
“Briec!” She slapped his shoulder. “That’s not funny.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt Briec’s mauling, Mum.”
“Iseabail!” The two of them together were absolutely impossible.
“But I need to talk to you about something. Something important.”
“Of course. Come in.”
“Do you need me to leave?”
“Oh, no. Not at all.” Izzy shook her head at Briec’s question. “Actually, I’d like to talk to you both.” She closed the door and walked into the room.
Briec sat on the bed and Talaith continued to stand by the door. She could see Izzy getting up her courage for this discussion, which worried Talaith more than a little bit.
Finally, with a deep breath and after wiping her hands on her leggings, which Talaith now realized was her daughter’s nervous habit, Izzy turned and faced them. “I’m just going to say this.”
“It’s probably best,” Talaith encouraged, working really hard not to panic.
Her only daughter smiled. “I’ve joined Annwyl’s army.”
“You what?”
Briec stepped between mother and daughter before Talaith could get her hands around the girl’s throat.
“Perhaps we should discuss this calmly.”
“Calmly? What is there to discuss calmly?” She pushed Briec aside. “You go down there right now, Iseabail, and you tell Annwyl you made a mistake.”
Swallowing, her daughter again shook her head. “No.”
“What do you mean, ‘no’?” Talaith fairly growled. Had she risked everything so this little whelp could give her life on the field of battle to that insane wild woman who had recently become one of her best friends?
“I mean, I’m old enough to make this decision. I hope to become part of Annwyl’s elite guard one day. Her squire to start if I’m lucky.” Her daughter stood straighter. “And I start training tomorrow.”
“No you will not start training tomorrow. Tomorrow I’m sending you to a temple somewhere to become a priestess. Or something equally safe.”
“There is nothing safe in this world. I have no Magick like you, Mum. All I have are sturdy thighs, a spine made of steel, and approximately six hundred years to fill. If you think I plan to do that bowing and scraping as an accolade, you are sadly mistaken.”
“I will have no daughter of mine being the squire of that bloodthirsty bitch!”
“You were just laughing and eating with her this morning.”
“We’re not talking about me.”
“You’re being unreasonable.”
“It’s in the blood, luv. Get used to it.”
“A year.”
Mother and daughter looked at Briec who coolly leaned back against the bed.
“What?” Talaith snapped, unable to stop the images of her daughter with a sword through her chest from invading her mind.
“Give it one year. That seems fair, don’t you think, Izzy?”
“Aye,” she replied eagerly.
“Talaith?” He looked at her and she felt her eyes narrow. She could physically kill him from this distance.
If she argued now, she’d seem like a right prat. And the arrogant bastard knew that. “Fine. A year than.”
“Yes!” Iseabail hugged her mother, giving her a big, wet kiss on her cheek. Then she ran to that traitor who called himself her mate and kissed him on the forehead.
“I have to get dressed. I hope there’s dancing tonight!”
As soon as the door closed, Talaith turned on Briec. “Why did you do that?”
“Because it made sense.”
“What difference will a year make?”
“Now that Annwyl’s decided to keep her and Fearghus’ demonspawn, she won’t be traipsing off to any battles in other territories at the very least for the next year, more likely two.”
He had a point there…the bastard.
“And what about after the year?”
Briec stood. “Be realistic, Talaith. If this isn’t right for her, then she’ll know that in a year, if not sooner.”
“And if it is right for her?”
“Then you best let her do this.”
“But—”
He took her hand. “If you don’t, you’ll lose her. Just like your mother lost you. And like you, Izzy will get what she wants even if she has to find another army to join. But it won’t be Annwyl’s where they’ll treat her like the daughter of royalty she truly is.”
Right again. Bastard. But she still had to laugh. “My family’s not royalty.”
“No, but mine is. And she’s one of us now…as are you.”
“Oh.”
Briec took a step toward her. “You did know that, didn’t you?”
Talaith took a step back. “Um, well, I hadn’t really considered it.”
“You’ve been marked by me, Talaith. Claimed. Which means we’re mated. For life. Izzy’s my daughter. I may not be her father by blood, but she’s mine. To protect and cherish.”
“Oh.”
“You keep saying that.”
He kept advancing and she kept retreating. “I simply didn’t see the full ramifications of our, uh, relationship.”
Her back slammed into the wall and suddenly Briec’s arms were on either side of her, caging her in. “Do you see the ramifications now, princess?”
“Uh…”
Before she could answer another knock came on their door, and she thought for sure Briec would set the castle on fire. Instead, he yelled, “What?”
Éibhear stuck his head in. “Where’s Izzy?”
“She went back to her room. Why?”
“No reason. She just has something of mine.” He grinned at them. “Carry on.”
The door closed and Briec looked back at her. “That’s it. We’re leaving.”
“What? Where?”
“My den. We’ll leave tomorrow.”
“I don’t think that—”
“Not forever, Talaith. But I need some time alone with you. I grow weary of my kin. Very, very weary.”
“Well, when you put it like that…”
“Good.”
“But we can’t be gone long. I want to be here for Annwyl. I fear what she may do to others if she’s not kept calm.”
He rolled his eyes. “If you must.”
“And Izzy—”
“Another reason for us to leave for a bit, don’t you think? It would be a bad idea for you to be here when she starts her training.”
The dragon definitely had a point there. “Fine. But like I said. Not for long.”
“Good. Now,” he leaned into her, “kiss me, woman.”
“Briec,” she stretched his name out by whining it. “We can’t.” But his hands were already under her dress, smoothing up her legs and across her bare hips. For him, she wore nothing under her clothes while alone in their bedroom except for her dagger and sheath—which he insisted upon—and he grinned his overwhelming appreciation. Holding her thighs tight, he lifted her up and settled her legs around his waist. At some point the overeager dragon pulled his leather leggings down to his knees. She felt his c*ck press against her, hot, hard and pulsating. Her hands went around his neck, her forehead resting against his.
Gasping, they stared into each other’s eyes as he slowly impaled her with his shaft. Taking her, inch by slow delicious inch. She moaned and he “shushed” her. “You don’t know who may be on the other side of that door, little witch,” he whispered, pushing more of himself inside her willing body. “Anyone could be listening.”
His words made her shudder and hold him tighter. She bit her lip to stop from making noise, even as he slammed the last inch of his erection inside her.
“Remember,” he growled in her ear, “you’ll need to be quiet.”
Not likely when he pulled his hard erection out of her grasping depths, only to ram it back in. Again and again and again.
Hoarse sounds unwillingly burst from her throat, which only goaded her dragon on. As usual, he showed her body no mercy and it felt wonderful. She dug the heels of her bare feet into his lower back and her hands into his hair. Her cli**x crawled up her spine, moving through her body like fire. Unable to hold it back, she opened her mouth to scream but Briec was there, covering her mouth with his own. His tongue tangling with hers, groaning as she exploded over the edge and came. Briec held her tight, rocking with her and, she sensed, enjoying the way her sex gripped him tight, spasms clutching him.