Deceptive Lord (Lords of Bondage) (30 page)

She pointed to the area on her throat.
“Do you know why you cannot remember?”

He shook his head.
“I’ll know after I speak to Brennus, but unfortunately, they have not found him yet.
Tell me everything that you remember.
This time, I will listen.”
He soaked up every word she uttered from her delectable mouth.
It bothered him that there were major events that he still could not remember.
“Were we in love?”

“There were feelings.”

He was amazed that she had the courage to turn herself over to the enemy.
“Strong enough to send you back to Asstrumnia to find me.”

“Well, that was a stupid thing to do.
I ended up a slave for my efforts.”

He pulled her to him.
“Do you still have regrets?
I will be good to you, you know.”

“I believe that, but a slave is still a slave.
You cannot expect me to be alright with that.”

He took her mouth in a kiss.
“A slave does not always stay a slave in Asstrumnia.
There are ways to earn your freedom.”
He slid off her tunic and in seconds she was entirely bared to his eyes.

“If that was the case, then how come none of the captives ever leave Asstrumnia?
Everyone knows that once you go there, you never return.”

He removed his own clothes and led her to the sofa.
“That is true.
Slaves are only freed when it is certain they will not leave
.”

“So it becomes more like a voluntary enslavement after they are supposedly freed?”

He pushed her down onto the sofa and joined her, climbing on top of her.
“You would be considered a
citizen and a freewoman if freed, but you wouldn’t be allowed to leave.
Few Asstrumnians ever cross the border, and when they do, it is usually related to warfare.
You’ll have to make the most
out
of your situation
.”

Her breath caught as she felt the pr
ess of his erection against her body
.
“How do you suggest I do that?”

His eyes consumed her naked flesh, including the curves of her breasts.
His mouth followed
.
As he began to suckle her, he felt his small fangs elongate and prick her skin.
He raised his head and moved forward a few inches, hoping to avoid the temptation to mark her.
His attention was riveted to her throat, where he had been told he had once marked her.
The urge to brand her was overwhelming and he didn’t understand why he would be affected so severely.
He collapsed on her body and against his will, his tongue made contact with her throat.
The taste and scent of her excited him and made him wish to bite into her flesh.
He wasn’t ready to make that type of commitment; he would end up bound
to her as much as she was bound to him.
Mating bonds made a male crazy and weak; they affected judgment and decision making.
All other aspects of his life
, such as his
bardic training
,
would be sacrificed to the bond.
It would affect his ability to dedicate himself fully to his studies, which would have a negative impact on his career.
He forced himself to release her throat and he entered her body quickly, needing the distraction found within her impossibly tight sheath.

“You will not give me your mark?”

His mind was consumed by sensation, and with every thrust, the urge to bite her was diminished.
The needs of his lower body took
precedence and he was absorbed with the act of pleasuring, so much so that he was unable to make conversation.
He
made efforts to see to her pleasure as well and he did not seek his release until she had gained hers.
He collapsed on top of her for a minute, and when he managed to move away from her, he noticed she was looking at him expectantly.
She was expecting an answer to her question.
“It’s not needed.
We’ll be fine without it.”

She sat on the edge of the sofa.
“Would I not be safer with it?”

He took her hand and lifted her from the sofa.
He began to walk toward the bathing area.
“You are safe.
I have documents that prove you belong to me.
They are signed by
Ninian and the
King
.
No one can take you away from me.”

She relaxed in the steamy water and gazed into his eyes.
“
What kind of documents?”

His muscles tensed as he prepared to delve into uncomfortable topics.
He
moved closer to her.
“Papers of ownership.”

She
seemed to realize
that her questions made him feel uncomfortable.
“Why must I be owned?”

“I didn’t make you a slave, Eden.
Our laws regarding captives caused it to happen.”

“So did you actually purchase me?”

“
I placed a claim on you; you could consider yourself a reward, awarded to me for services rendered to my
King
.
If I had not claimed you, another would have done so.
There were already others pressing claims.”

“So why did you
really
claim me?
Was it to make me pay for being an Avenal?
”

“
No.
I wanted you.
I still want you.
Would you rather have been claimed by Taran or Belenos?”

“I much prefer to be with you
.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

“
Brennus
is
still missing
, which worries me
.
That visit to Donovan yielded no useful information,” Drest said.

“He is the
King
’s own son.
Surely he would do everything possible to recover him,” Eden said.

“He is the least favorite son, unfortunately.
His father has always treated him poorly.”

“Why?”

“Brennus was
born prematurely and he was a sickly infant.
The
King
had ordered him to be left to die from exposure, but the
Queen
’s servant gave the child to my mother to
raise
instead.
He almost died several times
of illness and the physicians didn’t expect him to live to adulthood.
They said he would never be a warrior.
When his health improved and he grew stronger, the
King
ordered him to return to Donovan and serve his family.
Brennus didn’t want to live with the Donovans.
When he moved to the stronghold, his other brothers were less than welcoming and they made his life a living hell.
The
King
refused to lift a finger to stop the abuse, stating that it would toughen him up and make him a better warrior.
When Brennus came to Donovan, I relocated to Ravenwood and I spent some time fostered with the Donovans.
”

“I thought you were from Ravenwood.”

“I was born here, in this very lodge.
I moved with my family to Artane when I was young.
My mother still lives at Kavanaugh Keep in Artane.”

“And your father?”

“Dead, killed in battle long ago.
Kavanaugh Keep is the holding of my uncle,
Lord Kavan Kavanaugh.
I have four brothers and two sisters.
My other brothers are warriors and my sisters are not yet mated.”

“Do you see them often?”

“Not much anymore.
When I left Kavanaugh Keep, it was against my uncle’s wishes.
My uncle had demanded the
King
pay for the upkeep of Brennus.
There was a dispute over the amount and ever
since, my uncle and the
King
have not been friends.
They now despise each other.
When I moved to Ravenwood
with
Brennus, my uncle became angry and stated that I had chosen
the wrong side.
I still visit from time to time, but there is always tension when I go
.
”

“Will your mother not come here to see you?”

“She does not care for Ravenwood.
She says it is far too primitive and there is no social life for her.
Kavanaugh is a rich holding, wealthier than most.
You will see the difference when we visit, whenever time permits for one.
I need to meet with the dru
ids again today.”

“I would like to come with you.”

“You wish to see Portia?
I could bring you, but they will not let you attend the rituals.
You will have to be careful not to enter any unauthorized areas or they will forbid you to ever return.
No exploring.”

“I understand.”

***

Several minutes later, they transported to the druid fortress.
They were admitted by the guards and led to a receiving room to await Ninian.
Not long afterwards, Ninian arrived with Ciaran
.
The two druids glanced at Eden before turning their gazes toward Drest.

“You bring your slave with you everywhere?”
Distaste was evident in Ciaran’s voice.

“Not everywhere.
She is lonely for female company and I’m sure she would like to see Portia.”

Ciaran rolled his eyes.
“You forget that these women are slaves.
Their wishes do not matter.”

“It is a simple request, easy to grant,” Drest said.

“Very well,” Ninian said.
“But I’m not sure letting them see each other is a good idea.
Opportunities to plot with each other should not be granted.”

“Have their visits supervised then,” Drest said.

“Fine.”
Ninian gave some instructions to a servant and Eden was led to another room.
“I assume you came for a reason.”

Drest watched Eden leave before returning his attention to Ninian.
“I need to
discuss the situation regarding
Brennus.”

“I understand you are concerned for your friend, the young prince.
Let us discuss the matter in my office.”
Ninian led them to a large room that was dominated by a lengthy hardwood table.
Tall bookcases lined every wall, which made it look more like a library than a simple office.

Drest took a seat in a leather chair.
“He went through the portal to the New World.
What do you know of it?”

“There is an ancient artifact that appears to be alien technology
; it is the doorway to other worlds
.
It is in
the possession
of the druids
.
When it was discovered,
we knew it could be dangerous in the wrong hands.
It was decided that the use of it would be strictly regulated and a group of males w
as
chosen for this task.
We call them the Portal Guardians.
The
King
had decreed that members from the elite warrior class be involved
in the endeavor.
Your friend Brennus was one of the ones chosen.
Many of the guardians are druids.
The guardians are the only ones allowed to use the portal and travel to the New World.
Their main job is to search for new technology, anything that would be helpful to our world.
They are not allowed to bring anything back from the other world without it being approved by the Guardian Elders.
The
main reason for that is to protect this world from any unforeseen dangers, such as viruses.
Once they return to this world, they have to be cleared of any contamination by our scientists before they are allowed to leave the secret compound.
Recently, some of our top researchers discovered that the ancient device opens a portal to an alternate universe.
Originally, we thought it had taken us to a completely different planet.
It was only recently that we learned the true purpose of the device.”

“How was this discovered?”

Ninian pulled a book from a nearby bookshelf.
“This contains copies of ancient writings that were found in an excavation site in
Irelandia.
As you know, there had once been an ancient alien civilization there.
Some of those were our ancestors.
The writings are in ancient Asstrum and it took decades to get the material translated into something we could understand.
Once the researchers were able to decipher it, we learned more about the device.
When we understood that the New World was a different version of our own world, the Guardian Elders decreed that nothing would be taken across the portal into this world until it could be determined to be safe.
There was some concern that it could alter or damage our own universe.
Currently, the Portal Guardians are only allowed to observe the other world and bring back information that
could be useful.
The
King
has asked that the ban on items be lifted, as he wants to acquire c
a
c
a
o
trees for chocolate production.
Our world contains no cacao.
So far, the Guardian Elders have refused his request.”