HeroUnleased (7 page)

“Of course.” He drew his woman forward. “Your Highness, may
I present to you my wife, Brett.
Alskata
, this is Her Royal Highness,
the Princess Amaryllis Moira Mathea Rosenorn.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.” Brett dipped
into an awkward bow-curtsy posture.

“Please, call me Amaryllis, for I hope you and I will become
great friends.” She clasped Brett’s face between her hands and bestowed a kiss
of friendship on each cheek. “I thank you for providing me shelter during this
rather unwelcome situation. I only wish we could have met under different
circumstances.”

“Locking up bad guys is my calling. I’m happy to provide
whatever assistance I can.”

“As long as you’re kept out of Bale’s reach,” Kristos added.

The flash of defiance that sparked in Brett’s jade-green
eyes tickled Amaryllis. “We shall see, sweetie.”

“I see you have experienced the joys of being mated to a
Llanos
.”
Amaryllis laughed and turned to the man standing off to the side. “You must be
Harlan. I’ve heard so much about you. It appears you are now my uncle too. I do
hope I become your favorite niece.” She kissed his whiskered cheek.

His peach skin turned a rosy red, and with his white beard,
Harlan reminded her of the paintings of Santa Claus that decorated the city
each winter. He tugged at the straps of his overalls and had to clear his
throat before he said, “Welcome to my home, Ms. Amaryllis. I hope you enjoy
your time here.”

“I’m sure we’ll have great fun.”

“The house is on the other side of the store. Let’s get you
inside and settled in your room. It’s not much, but you’ll be comfortable, and
Dhavin will be right next door to you.”

“Your generosity is really all I require.”

“Wait.” Lucian stopped them before they crossed the
threshold. “There’s been a change of plans. The princess will stay with Kristos
and Brett.”

“Why?” Kristos asked. “Not that we wouldn’t love to have
you, Your Highness, but I thought she was staying here where Harlan and Dhavin
can keep an eye on her while we patrol.”

“I have recently come across some new information and I
think it best she stay with you.”

“What information?”

Lucian glanced briefly at his cousin. “Come with me and I’ll
fill you in. We won’t be long. Dhavin, if you will join us.”

“Why do they do that?” Brett muttered as she glared at their
retreating backs with her hands planted on her hips. “Like I’m not going to
find out what they’re talking about anyway.”

“Lucian probably thinks he’s protecting my modesty. You see,
he learned this morning that Dhavin and I have…a history together.”

Harlan choked on a breath of air as Brett’s eyebrows shot up
to her hairline. “Really?” she drew out in long syllables. “Are you two still
an item?”

“No, but we are good friends. However, the general does not
like his guards being friendly with the royals, and he forgets that my personal
business is just that, mine.”

“I was wondering why he was looking like something crawled
up his ass and twisted his intestines. Not that he’s usually a laid-back kind
of guy, but he does seem more intense than normal. Even for a
Llanos
.”

Amaryllis tossed her head back and laughed from her belly.
Brett joined her and Amaryllis felt an instant kinship form between the two of
them. “So true. No wonder you are in a position of power. You are as observant
as you are intelligent and beautiful.”

Brett bit her lip as a flush of pink stained her cheeks. “I
think that’s one of the nicest compliments I’ve ever received. Thank you.”

“Rubbish,” Harlan interjected. “We say nice things to her
all the time, she just has a hard time believing it.” He patted Brett on the
shoulder then offered his arm to Amaryllis. “While the young’uns are blustering
about, why don’t I take you on a little tour of the place?”

“I would love that.”

The interior of the store was much larger than it appeared
from the outside. Amaryllis had never seen so many guns lining one wall since
her time spent in the armory back home. On the opposite wall hung the rifle’s
more peaceful cousins, the fishing rods, separated by racks of raincoats and
shiny hip-waders, and shelves stocked with camping gear she never imagined
existed. Did humans really enjoy spending their time off out in the woods so
much?

When Harlan offered her a cup of coffee, she declined with a
polite smile. If the acrid stench of burnt caffeine hadn’t warned her, Brett’s
brief, but violent, shake of the head confirmed her decision.

Outside orange and red kayaks were lined up like soldiers
ready to depart on their next mission and an oversized raft rested on the bank
of the river, beckoning her to climb in and play in the rapids.

“That looks like such fun. Do you go often?” she asked
Harlan.

“No, my rafting days are long over, so I leave it to the
boys.”

“And you miss it.”

“I do.” A wicked light entered his eyes. “But I’m not
without a bit of adventure now and again.” He waggled his brows and checked
over his shoulder before looking at them as if he were about to impart a great
secret. “Follow me.”

Behind the store was a large shed that housed more rafting
and kayaking equipment. In the corner sat six motorbikes, each with a helmet
hanging off a handlebar.

“Harlan,” Brett exclaimed. “You still ride?”

“On occasion, when the weather’s good and no one’s around to
tell me I’m too old to be on one of these things. But I do enjoy a good ride
through the woods now and again.”

“Why so many?” Amaryllis trailed a finger over a worn seat
and noticed a number spray painted on the tank. “You rent them out?”

“Sure do. During the tourist season.”

“I don’t fault you for the impulse, Harlan. I love to ride
too. Once it’s in your blood, the calling never leaves.”

“You ride bikes, Princess?” Brett appeared more stunned by
that than at Harlan’s declaration.

“It’s such a rush. I have two Harleys and a Triumph. That
one is my favorite. I’ve never been on a dirt bike before.”

“You should go while you’re here. There’s a nice little path
that follows the river that’s great for beginners.”

Amaryllis looked out onto the parking lot where the three
men were involved in a heated conversation. The brothers were talking at the
same time while Dhavin stared them down with his arms crossed and the muscles
of his biceps flexing with restrained action.

She looked up at Harlan and batted her lashes. “Is the path
long?”

“Fifteen minutes, unless you deviate to the path that heads
toward the falls. That one takes about an hour.”

“You know, I would love to see more of Cedar’s countryside,
and since the men are still occupied, I think there is no better time than the
present.”

Brett glanced out to the roosters clucking like a bunch of
hens and released a wide smile. “I like the red one.”

Amaryllis smiled back. “I knew we were going to be great
friends. I like the red one too.”

* * * * *

“Lucian, there is no reason to change the plan. Amaryllis
will be fine here with me.”

Dhavin was going to have to stop linking himself and the
princess together or else the vein pounding in Lucian’s forehead was going to
explode.

“What happened?” his brother asked. “Why the change?”

Lucian glanced up at the three spectators watching them from
the porch and switched to their native language. “Dhavin has violated the
princess, and I think it best to keep them separated.”

“What?”

“We had sex, and it was mutual. I did not violate her.”

Kristos rounded on his cousin. “You touched the princess?”

“She needed me!”

“That’s grounds for execution!”

“Enough,” Lucian roared. “Regardless of your past, the truth
of the matter is she has you wrapped around her delicate little finger. I
believe your focus has been compromised.”

Dhavin let loose with a bark of laughter. “This from the man
who wants to fuck her so badly, I can taste your lust for her.”

To hear his deepest shame blurted out with such crudeness
smacked him like a metal gauntlet across the cheek. “That is not true.”

Amaryllis let go with a peal of laughter that brought all of
their heads around. The low, flirty notes gripped him by the balls and shot
down his shaft, as if to punish him for spouting such a blatant lie.

“What are you really worried about, Lucian? Do you think
that in the middle of the night Amaryllis is going to remember the pleasure she
found in my arms and seek me out? That it will be me holding her by her silken
hair while I feed her my cock? She likes it hard and rough, and I know just how
to satisfy her.”

Only Kristos’ strong arm banded across his chest kept Lucian
from taking his cousin to the gravel and striking a killing blow. “Don’t you
speak of her in such a vulgar manner.”

“She likes it vulgar.”

“Dhavin,” Kristos shouted. “Do you want to die?”

“You didn’t have to spend the entire day trapped between the
two of them, snipping and bitching at each other when all they wanted was to
strip naked and fuck. The tension was unbearable. I was tempted to leave them
in the car all day until they finally jumped each other so we could all move
on. Perhaps now you will get over yourself, Lucian, and go to her.”

Lucian clamped his teeth together. Damn, he thought he had
controlled his emotions better. Nonetheless, he would not give in to the
temptation.

“If you continue to speak of the princess with such
disrespect, I will gut you where you stand.”

Dhavin rolled his eyes at the threat. “I speak the truth. Do
not worry about me keeping my focus. I will lay down my life to protect Amaryllis,
as I have since the day I made my oath to the House of Rosenorn.”

“And what of you, Lucian?”

He looked at his brother as if he’d grown a second head. “I
will protect her ’til my last breath. I am
Llanos
. Never question that.”

“I mean, do you desire her for your own?”

With every beat of his hearts, but admitting that was not a
good idea at this time. Possibly never.

“My feelings for the princess are irrelevant. It is my honor
to protect her and protect her I will.”

The two men shared a look that said they weren’t buying his
bullshit.

“What is wrong with you wanting her, Lucian?” Dhavin asked.
“She’s a beautiful woman. Vibrant. Passionate. And she desires you too. What is
stopping you?”

Dhavin was the devil sitting on his shoulder, seducing him
with what he shouldn’t covet, yet craved more than anything he ever wanted.
Only his honor kept him from crossing the line he had spent his entire life
defending.

“I am her servant and always will be. I will stand by her
bed, but never warm it.”

His cousin shook his head. “You are a fool.”

Then a fool he shall be.

The high-pitched wail of an engine rent the air. Lucian
turned toward the sound in time to see a streak of red with silver hair
trailing behind like a flag disappear into the tree line.

“Harlan! What have you done?”

The older man shrugged. “She has experience. Besides, she’s
only going on the short trail. She’ll be back in a minute.”

“Or she could be killed.”

Without a second thought, Lucian was off, racing after the
trail of dust and exhaust that snaked around giant tree trunks, ferns and
blackberry bushes.

“Amaryllis!” he shouted with all the force he could muster.

His lungs ached and his thighs burned as he ran faster than
any human on the planet. She maintained just out of his reach, which only spoke
of the dangerous speed she used over the rough terrain.

The turnabout came up and she blew past it, heading deeper
into the woods and following the lip of the gorge. Rocks shot out from under
the rear tire, skittering over the edge and into the rushing Cedar River a
hundred feet below.

“Amaryllis! Halt! I command you!” he forced out from a
throat tight with fear.

Her leather-booted foot hit the ground as she muscled the
bike into a controlled spin. Dust billowed around her as she whipped off her
helmet and shook out her hair in a cloud of silver.

“What are you doing?” she asked. The innocence of her query
jabbed him like a hot poker to the belly.

“What—what am—” He bent double, his hands braced on his
shaky knees as he fought for breath. “You. You are insane. Do you realize how
far you’ve traveled?”

“Nobody asked you to chase after me.”

“Apparently I’m the only one who cares for your safety.”

“Why?”

“What?”

She brought her leg over the body of the bike and stood tall
before him. “Why do you care so much about my safety?”

“It is my duty.”

“Duty?” An invisible wall came up between them so fast it
slammed against his chest. “Is that all? Is that what I am, Lucian? A job? When
will you get it through that thick skull of yours that we are no longer in
court? You are not my guard. You never were. I don’t need you to take care of
me.”

“But you do need me. You have no concept of the evil out to
kill you. You are defenseless, and if you continue to disregard my knowledge
and expertise, you might as well serve him your head on a platter.”

“I pity you, General. You think too much with your head, and
not with your hearts.”

The barrier around her emotions was strong, but even so, a
thread of hurt snaked out and tugged at the hearts she claimed he didn’t have.
“Amaryllis.”

She stopped his speech with an imperious raise of her hand.
“I officially relieve you of your
duty
.”

And with that, she took a step back, right off the edge of
the cliff.

Chapter Five

Lucian stood rooted to the ground, his mind unable to
comprehend the unbelievable sight. It was absolutely inconceivable. One moment
the princess was looking at him with hurt and disappointment in her wide eyes
and the next, she was gone. The tips of her silver hair the last thing he saw
after she stepped off the cliff.

By the Gods. She stepped off the cliff!

The realization propelled him into action and he ran to the
edge and peered down to the rushing river. Confusion clouded his vision. There
was no sign of her, no body, no hint of her red coat, nothing. Was she already
swept away by the fast current?

Without hesitation, he leapt off the edge and landed
gracefully on the rocky bank and began to run downstream. “Amaryllis!”

“Yes?”

He spun around at the sound of her voice and his knees
buckled. She sat on a large boulder, one leg crossed over the other, her little
foot bouncing in a rhythm that matched the drumming of her fingers.

“I think, General, you’ve forgotten that I too went through
the same change you boys did, and I’m stronger and faster than any human on
Earth. I’m not the delicate flower you insist on treating me like.”

Relief sapped his strength and he nearly collapsed at her
feet to bury his head in her lap. He wanted to feel her alive and warm in his
arms, but he clung to his anger instead of giving in to the compulsion.

“Why do you insist on playing these childish games? What
have I ever done to you to warrant such behavior?”

She raised an incredulous brow. “You’ve done nothing but
treat me like an imbecile and like I have no feelings. You order me around as
if I haven’t the logic to understand what is going on. Did I not do what you
asked as soon as you brought me proof of Bale? I’m an experienced rider and I
asked Harlan for the easiest trail because the terrain is unfamiliar. The
question isn’t what have you done to me, but what have I done to you to make
you think I am incapable of knowing anything?”

He opened his mouth to unleash the lengthy list, then
realized that in actuality, he had nothing. Amaryllis was a royal and he her
protector. As such, his position granted him absolute rule over one thing, her
well-being, and it was a responsibility he’d give his life to fulfill.

Amaryllis was like an epic song that moved through your
entire body, bringing you to tears before releasing you back to your humdrum
existence. At her club he witnessed firsthand how her patrons watched her with
an admiration won by action and not false words. To have her spirit silenced
was unacceptable and she needed to be protected by any means necessary, which
was why he fought with her over her independence.

Men showed courage with action and brawn. Amaryllis showed
hers with leading by example. Lucian marveled at her strength, but by the same
token it scared the shit out of him. That type of courage was bred to the bone.
A part of her DNA that was unchangeable. Perhaps he had been arrogant to
believe she would accept his command without a whimper, that he could set aside
all emotion and treat her like another mission, just as she accused. However,
his dominance was part of
his
DNA and unchangeable as well.

Continuously butting heads was not going to keep her safe.
He needed her trust more than he needed to be right, and he had no one but
himself to blame for the wall standing between them.

“I will not apologize for my tactics for keeping you safe,
however I am sorry if my methods have given you the impression that I think you
are weak, because I don’t,” he admitted. “In fact, I think you are one of the
bravest people I have ever known.”

Surprise widened her eyes. “That’s not true! You think I’m a
childish harlot.”

The vehemence behind her words wounded him like a hot lash
across his chest. “I never said that.”

“You thought it. I felt it.”

“I’ve never, Amaryllis. Not once.” Did she really believe he
thought so little of her? He gestured to the rock she sat upon. “May I?”

A delicate frown touched her brow as her lavender gaze raked
him from head to toe. He waited patiently with his spine straight and shoulders
back as he withstood her inspection. Finally she granted him a slight nod. “You
may.”

Yet she didn’t slide over to create more room for his larger
frame. Their arms and hips pressed together and her heat seeped to his bones
that he hadn’t realized were so cold.

He swallowed hard, resisting the urge to press closer. “When
the time came for you to be evacuated from the palace, you were terrified. Even
with my barriers in place, I could still taste your fear. Your father and I
were not positive we were sending you to a better place and all you were armed
with was your intelligence and a box of crown jewels. I was half tempted to
pull you from the craft and find some other way to keep you from the
revolutionaries. But despite the turmoil you emoted, on the outside, you were
so composed, so calm and regal. Your strength and courage were breathtaking.”

She shrugged. “What was I supposed to do? Fall to the floor
and beg to stay? I was leaving my home forever. The least I could do was
maintain my dignity.”

“Your exile was never meant to be permanent, Your Highness.
As soon as it was safe, you would have been called home.”

“And look how well that plan worked.” In light of her
sarcasm, a smile curved her lips. “It’s all right, General. I am so much
happier here than I ever was on Skandavia. I’ve taken lemons and made them into
a delicious lemon-vodka martini rimmed with sugar.”

“Yes, you most certainly have.”

She was much like Kristos in that regard. When they had
arrived on Earth, his brother had thrown himself into their new reality,
seeking joy in the everyday to overcome the pain of the past. But Lucian was
always aware that Kristos’ failure was never far from his thoughts and colored
his every action. At least that had always been the case before, perhaps now
that demon was finally slayed, thanks to Amaryllis.

“Thank you for what you said to Kristos. I don’t think you
know just how much he needed to hear those words.”

“I spoke the truth. My mother had committed herself to her
people. Nothing would sway her from doing what she believed was right. The only
person to blame for my mother’s death is Hamerkind. It was wrong of my father
to lay the blame on you and Kristos.”

“I would have too. His bonded mate had been murdered, his
family gone—”

“Then place blame on the man who was really at fault. It was
my father’s choice to not listen to his people and seek peace in the first
place. You and your brother were many of the casualities of his stubbornness.
His arrogance cost too many lives.”

“He cared for his people.”

“But he cared about his image more.” She picked up a stone
lying near her feet and skipped it to the other side of the riverbank with a
soft snick of her wrist. “We can’t dwell on the misery, Lucian. It helps no
one. Let’s focus on the good. Kristos found his happiness. Would that have
happened had he remained on Skandavia?”

“Probably not.”

“And you. Are you happy, Lucian?”

A reply came readily to his lips, but the earnest light in
her eyes gave him pause. If there was anyone who might understand his lack of
connection to his new life, perhaps it was the princess.

“I should be. I’m alive.” He gestured to the craggy green
hills and rushing river with the sunlight sparkling along its rippled edges. “I
live amongst this beauty. I have my family close. Aren’t I supposed to be
happy?”

“But you don’t have a purpose.”

He looked at her sharply, surprised that she arrowed with
deadly accuracy to the heart of his discontent. “I used to command hundreds of
men. Every second of my day was scheduled. I was part of something great that
held true meaning. Now I spend hours balancing ledgers and debating with
retirees the best weight of line to use bass fishing. It doesn’t compare.”

“Haven’t you traveled? Explored the world?”

“No. Not really. The only time I’ve left Cedar was to check
on you.”

A delighted smile curled her lips. “Lucian, I want you to
make me a promise.”

The request intrigued him more than he wanted.

“When this Bale situation is over, I want you to take a
trip. Leave Cedar. Leave the state. Go away and experience other cultures.
Taste life. Find your purpose. Promise me.”

Lucian gazed into her fathomless lavender eyes, easily
picturing a future where he walked the streets of London, climbed the steppes
of the Andes or took in a play in New York. And in each vision, Amaryllis was
at his side.

“I promise.”

Her smile softened, drawing his gaze to the soft pad of her
lips. Like a reed in a breeze he swayed, drawing closer, so close he scented
the sugary drink consumed during their journey on her breath. Would her kiss
taste as sweet?

She tilted her head to the right, her lips parting as she
swayed closer. “Lucian,” she mouthed against his lips.

“Princess,” he whispered.

Princess.

He jerked away from her so quickly, he lost his balance and
fell off the rock. His arms flailed as he landed in the gravel with a hard
grunt.

“Lucian,” Amaryllis shouted. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” He jumped to his feet as if nothing was amiss.
“It’s, um, it’s getting late. We should head back.”

That shrewd look narrowed her eyes again. The look that made
him feel naked and exposed.

With a nod she stood and brushed the seat of her pants. “As
you wish, General. Race you to the top.”

Her saucy wink was the last he saw before she disappeared in
a streak of red suede and silver hair. When he finally caught sight of her, she
was scaling the side of the cliff as naturally as a spider monkey. A melodic
trill of laughter drifted from above, spurring him to action.

He followed, but at a slower pace, needing the distance to
pull his mind from the images inspired by those luscious lips. Not more than an
hour before he chastised Dhavin for his inappropriate relationship with the
princess and now he was entertaining the very same thoughts. When the king had
stripped him of everything he held dear, the only thing Lucian had been able to
cling to was his honor. To fall to a weakness of the flesh would be a disgrace
to that sacrifice. For the good of all, he must not succumb to such
temptations.

“It took you long enough,” Amaryllis said when he crested
the top. “Perhaps this forced retirement has made you soft.”

Soft? If she only knew.

Lucian strode toward the bike, resolutely ignoring the ache
in his cock, and lifted it by the frame. “Come on. If we hurry, we can make it
back before sunset.”

“What are you doing? Put that down.” She shook her head and
strapped on the helmet. “We’ll ride back.”

“Ride back? I don’t know how to ride that thing.”

“Aren’t you the same man who was the youngest champion of
the Valhad Run with a speeder you built yourself that was faster and less
sturdy than this cycle?”

“Yes, but that—”

“No. No lame excuses about how that was different. If you
want me to return with you, you’ll get your butt on that seat. Now.”

“You’re going to make this difficult for me, aren’t you?”

“I can be rather sweet when I get my way.”

“Your Highness, I don’t want to endanger you.”

“That’s why I’m wearing the helmet. Come on, Lucian. What
are you so afraid of?”

Dropping dead from blood loss to the head when you
plaster that lush body against my back.

She’d do it too. Torturing him seemed to be her favorite
pastime and there was no doubt she wouldn’t pass up a prime opportunity to
twist him into knots.

Heavens light, when had he become such a coward that the
mere thought of being in close contact with a female made his knees knock?
Llanos
up, man.

With a tight smile Lucian strode to the bike and swung his
leg over the seat. Once he was settled, Amaryllis pointed out all the features
and related them to how a speeder worked back home. A good kick with his boot
brought the machine to life, pulsing and thrumming between his thighs in a
teeth-gritting tease. He choked back a moan when Amaryllis settled behind him,
wiggling her shoulders so her breasts rubbed enticingly against his spine.

They were going to die. His head was going to explode and he
was going to steer them right into a tree.

“Ready when you are, General,” she shouted over the ping of
the motor.

He released the throttle and the little bike took off like a
shot. Her delighted laughter floated in the air as she wrapped her arms around
his waist. As he dodged trees and shrubs, her hands wandered over his stomach.
She traced the line of his tight abdominals with her fingertips, followed by
the rasp of her nails. With the v-6 buzzing against his sac, his cock hardened,
trapped in the stranglehold of his jeans. Sweat dripped into his eyes and he
had to shake his head to bring his focus off the hands caressing lower and
lower and onto the twisting trail ahead of them.

The wandering hands were bad enough, but combined with the
vibration of her emotions, it was absolute torture. By the Gods, she was as
aroused as he. He swore he scented the heady musk of her arousal over the scent
of pine and diesel fuel. Her hips swiveled in the seat and a hot, pulsing
sensation wrapped around him, dragging him further into her spell.

No, no, no! His hands tightened on the grips, refusing to
turn them deeper into the woods to find a shaded area where he could give her
the ride she was begging for.

The tips of her curious fingers edged under the waistband of
his jeans.

Satan’s foul ball sac! The woman didn’t play fair.

He cranked the accelerator, blowing them both back in their
seats. Amaryllis shrieked and clutched him tighter. Her thighs gripped his hips
and her touch changed from sexual to self-preservation.