Badly shaken, she could barely get the words out. At least she wasn’t hysterical. It had taken much longer to calm Rihlia down enough to make her believe the Haunt were not a danger to her. But then, she belonged to this world.
He would make no such assurances to this human.
“Wait here,” he told the girl sternly, pointing to the cushioned bench set in the alcove opposite his lord’s rooms. She sank limply onto the bench, obeying him without a murmur, but it wasn’t him she was looking at. He turned to the pair of Haunt guards flanking the massive double doors and eyed them wryly. She was unlikely to attempt any mischief while under their baleful stare, but just to be sure…
“Eat her if she moves,” he ordered, and watched with satisfaction as her eyes widened. Hiding his grin at the guards’ puzzled glances, he entered the room.
“She is here,” he reported, stepping into the large room.
Jayems looked up quickly from where he sat at his desk of polished, dark wood. The heavy ledger he’d been reading closed with a muffled thud, but his boots remained crossed on the desktop as he waited for more details.
Rihlia wasn’t nearly as calm. She leapt off the couch where she’d been sitting and demanded breathlessly, “Where?” Her long dark hair had been braided with pearls and topaz, and someone had gotten her into a white silk robe. He wondered who’d worked the miracle. The last time he’d seen her she’ll still been stubbornly clinging to her old clothes.
Keilor smiled slightly, amused. For all she looked like a princess, she was as bright-eyed and eager as a much younger girl. It was easy to see in her the child she’d been.
Grimness replaced his amusement as he recalled her friend. “There’s a problem,” he informed his lord darkly. “She’s a charmer.”
Jayems’ feet uncrossed, dropping with unnerving deliberation to the floor. He slammed his palms down on the desk and leaned forward. “A what?”
Keilor shook his head slowly. “She could be nothing else. I’m certain of it.”
Jayems swore and got to his feet, pacing with barely controlled anger.
His reluctant betrothed looked between them in angry confusion. “What’s the matter? You told me she could—”
Jayems whirled to face her, his dark tunic riffling in the breeze. “I gave permission for you to say goodbye, and I will still allow it, but the minute you are finished, she goes.”
Her eyes flared in temper. “Well, of course, darling,” she agreed acidly. “After all, we wouldn’t want any unsavory humans loitering about, now, would we?”
He stalked her, stopping inches from her to pierce her with his stare. “I’m gratified we understand each other, wife.” Before she could snarl out a denial, he snapped, “Bring her, Keilor. Let’s finish this.”
* * *
Jasmine sat where she’d been ordered and stared at the intricate mosaic patterns in the wood floor. It was hard not to gawk at her guards, and her gaze kept darting up to peek with horrified fascination. Lemming pressed against her leg, whining softly.
They made no bones about staring back.
They had the heads and flattened faces of wolves, and their entire bodies were covered in dark hair. Each guard wore a leather holster with a gun of some sort strapped to his thigh and a long knife sheathed at the hip. Combat boots, pants and buckled leather vests completed the ensemble. They looked frighteningly competent.
Frightening being the key word.
It was a relief when her warden opened the door and ordered her to, “Come.” With forced courage, she got to her feet and edged swiftly past the guards, relaxing only when the door was safely shut behind her. She was going to have nightmares about this place.
Lemming gave a glad bark and charged forward.
Wiley laughed as she knelt down to hug her dog. “Good girl!” she praised the collie and fondled her ears affectionately. “You found me, didn’t you?” She looked up and saw Jasmine, and her eyes glittered with tears. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” she murmured, and embraced her in a crushing hug. “I thought you’d never get here.”
Jasmine pulled back and gave her a wobbly grin. “Blame it on your map. You forgot to mention that last curve in the road.” Her smile faded as she glanced at the two men who watched them impassively. She looked back at her friend. “What’s going on, Wiley?”
“It’s…” Wiley broke off and looked at the dark haired man Jasmine didn’t know. He was perched on a desk, his feet crossed at the ankles. Her erstwhile escort stood near him, which was also as far from Jasmine as the room allowed.
“I don’t suppose we could have some privacy?” Wiley asked coldly. The handsome stranger inclined his head, indicating that he had heard her, but he didn’t move. She muttered something under her breath and led Jasmine to the far end of the room, sitting down with her on a couch. Lemming came up and nudged Wiley’s hand, and she absently stroked her while she explained.
“We’re on another world,” she began slowly.
Jasmine glanced at the triple moons visible through the window comprising an entire wall and then back at the door. She nodded slowly in agreement. She’d figured that one out on her own.
Wiley watched her carefully. “I was born here.”
Jasmine’s eyes unfocused for a moment as she pondered that. “It explains a few things. Go on.”
Wiley took a breath. “The guy who brought you here is my cousin, Keilor.”
Jasmine’s eyes darted in surprise to the man, and for the first time she really looked at him, scrutinizing his features. Black, silken hair framed high cheekbones, reminiscent of a Cherokee warrior, and the faint flare of his nostrils reinforced the impression. She couldn’t see the color of his eyes from across the room, but the expression in them of wary distaste was all too clear. She was already far too familiar with the strength of his hands, and the excellent lighting in the room only confirmed that he was in excellent shape.
He raised a dark brow in mocking acknowledgment of the introduction.
“You have my sympathy,” she told her friend.
Wiley smiled slightly. She didn’t even look at the other man, just jerked her head in his direction. “The other guy is called Jayems.” They were both quite for a moment. Wiley’s hands twisted her skirt. At last she said stiffly, “They won’t let me go home, and they want you to go back right away and forget you ever saw me.”Jasmine sat back, carefully controlling her anger. Her expression was cold, but a dangerous smile turned up one side of her mouth. “Two words, my friend.” She twitched an eyebrow and switched to Pig Latin. “Avyna, Ealsay, anda eytha anca ovesha ita upa eirtha assa.” Navy SEALS, and they can shove it up their...Wiley laughed a little, relieved. She understood that Jasmine wasn’t
“I could,” he answered agreeably. He looked amused. “Though I couldn’t guarantee your bed would be solitary.”She glared at him. “Fine.” He raised an intrigued eyebrow. “This is fine,” she clarified.He shrugged. “As you wish. If you need anything, something to eat, for instance, just raise your voice slightly and call for service.”Jasmine waited a moment after he’d left and then quickly opened the door. Two wolf guards looked down at her inquiringly. She growled in frustration and shut the door, locking it for good measure. Then she slumped against it, done in. Lemming had stayed with Wiley, so nothing disturbed the silenc
“Rescuing you, you mean.” She tossed down her spoon. “What right do they have to hold you here, anyway? Seems to me like they gave up on you a long time ago. Why take you back now, when you don’t want to be here?”Wiley sighed heavily. “It’s worse. Jayems…. He claims he’s my husband.”“What?” The table rattled as Jasmine shot to her feet. “For crying out loud, why?”Wiley’s lip began to tremble. “He claims we were ‘joined in a betrothal ceremony’ when we were kids.”Jasmine shoved her chair away, her robe fla
In disbelief, Jasmine dangled a pair of silky panties up in the air. The material parted at the crotch, forming a butterfly. She’d never owned such a scandalous undergarment in her life, and she couldn’t believe Wiley would actually bring her such a thing. Yet here they were, several pairs of them. Yep, she could choose to be risqué in fire engine red, pink, black, white or midnight blue.It got worse.Jasmine had once seen a picture of some ancient Mediterranean pottery where the women wore a type of short-sleeved bustier/vest that had boosted their breasts. The garments had been cut out around the breast itself, leaving the naked breast lifted up and exposed as if held in two cupped hands, rather like an offering.
“That might work,” Keilor agreed and looked hopefully at Jayems. He didn’t care for the woman’s influence on him, either. The sooner she was mated, the sooner her wretched power would be confined to one poor soul, and the rest of them could get on with their lives as before. He frowned, momentarily displeased by the thought of all those intensely erotic charmer pheromones being spent on just anybody. Then he shrugged it off. It was only the lingering affects of her remembered scent making him possessive, and an excellent example of why Knightin’s suggestion was a good one. “I’m for it,” he asserted firmly.Jayems looked hopeful for a moment and then scowled. “It can’t be just a lover. By forcing her to stay and accepting her as a guest of my lady, I’ve declared her my guest as
His eyes on hers, he flicked open the clasp of her overnji. She flinched.As if he owned her, he leisurely trailed his fingers over the fluttering vein in her neck, pausing just a moment to trace the dragonfly on her necklace. Her breathing picked up, and he smiled at the unmistakable scent of charmer desire. For a moment he forgot it was terror and not passion he was supposed to inspire, and he reveled in her response. With his eyes half closed, he drank deeply of her intoxicating perfume.Whether he knew it or not, Keilor wasn’t a man in control. No man could be so close to a charmer and remain his own.He shook his head as he remembered this was supposed to be a lesson, not a seduction.
He dressed her as leisurely as he’d undressed her and set her loose. Without a word she turned on her heel and headed back the way she’d come.He didn’t try to talk, and he seemed content to let her set the pace. It wasn’t much, as gallantry went, but she’d take what she could get. She wasn’t up to idle chatter just then.She’d felt desire in her life, she thought, wading through the fern fronds. Even hot, raging lust, but she’d never before walked through fire. The idea that a virtual stranger could do that to her, could make her nearly frantic with need, did not please her.Maybe there’s something in the air, she thought suspiciously, takin
Jasmine stiffened, considering the ramifications of a really enraged Keilor. If he did what he’d done to her that afternoon over a minor infraction, what would he do to her for threatening his life? It didn’t bear thinking about.Besides, she didn’t think she could shoot him, not even a warning shot. Just the thought of it turned her insides cold. She sighed, admitting temporary defeat.She’d have to sleep on it.“Of course it would work,” Jasmine insisted. Gravel crunched under her new boots as she followed the path to the stables. Her brown ponytail swished across the back of h