yours, not even your body. Theking can come for you at any time. You’ll never be free as long as you stay here.”
Katie snorted. “Don’t act as if life with you would be better. I wouldn’t be free with you either. You would treat me just as he does. You are no different.”
“I am entirely different, because you crave me and what I can do to your body. I see the way you look at me, I feel the way you touch me.” His mouth lowered to her ear. “I promised I’d leave today. And so I shall.”
His tongue swirled around the shell of her ear. “But I’m taking you with me.”
“My father would hunt you down,” Sapphire snapped, “and finish what the mercs started. The king would use my abduction to incite a call to arms. All hell would break loose—”
“If they knew where you were,” he murmured, “you might have a point.”
Wulf’s hands moved together at the side of her neck and suddenly the ground beneath her back was cold. Startled, her head jerked to the side, her wide eyes taking in her surroundings. She was pinned beneath him on a transfer pad; her atrium and the familiar surroundings of her home were gone. Panicked, she noted the shield on the wall and recognized the same crest that embellished Wulf’s signet ring—the D’Ashier royal family crest.
“I’m going to kick your ass,” she bit out.
Wulfric shielded her with his body until a servant came forward bearing a thick talgorite-red velvet robe, then he rose and covered her. Gaining aseated position, Sapphire clutched the rich material to her breasts. Royal guardsmen dressed in red and gold uniforms lined the walls of the transfer room. As they prostrated themselves respectfully, she realized that Wulfric’s return had been expected, as evidenced by the ready availability of the royal garment she was draped in.
“What the hell have you done?” she breathed.
He extended his hand to her. Sapphire ignored it, jumping to her feet and deliberately leaving the robe on the floor.
Stepping in front of her, Wulf blocked her nakedness from the guards behind him. He kicked up the robe with his bare foot, caught it in his hand, and held it out to her. “Cover yourself.”
Her chin lifted. “No.”
He moved so quickly, she had no time to avoid him. Within the space of a gasp, Wulfric had her swaddled in his royal robes and tossed over his shoulder.
“Damn you, Wulf.” She struggled to free her arms. “You’re starting to piss me off!”
He ignored her. Moving toward the exit, he barked orders en route. “Send a platoon to the return coordinates. I’ve adjusted the Guardian system to allow transfers from this pad’s signature, so you’ll have to instigate the engagement from here. Collect the servants and guards, and bring them to D’Ashier. Retrieve the home’s computer chip—undamaged. Nothing and no one that would betray my recent presence in Sari can be left behind.”
Sapphire screamed in frustration. “Put. Me. Down. Before I hurt you.”
Wulfric’s voice rose to drown out hers.
She bit him.
He swatted her buttocks with his free hand. “Stop that.”
“You know you can’t do this, you arrogant ass!”
She felt laughter rumble through him and saw the shocked expressions on the faces of his men. She glared at them.
“Tell the king I have returned.” He strode toward the door. “But I am not to be disturbed until tomorrow.”
Wulf cupped her backside possessively. “I’ll be busy a while.”
Wulf’s long-legged stride ate up the seemingly endless length of white stone hallway with ease. The guards stationed at various intervals bowed at the waist as he passed, their eyes wide as they stared at Katie squirming and swearing loudly over his shoulder. She had the vocabulary of a hardened soldier and she didn’t hesitate to use it. He’d never been so verbally abused in his life. Coming from Katie, he found he enjoyed it immensely.
The doors to his seraglio slid open when he approached. He
Katie snorted. “Don’t act as if life with you would be better. I wouldn’t be free with you either. You would treat me just as he does. You are no different.”
“I am entirely different, because you crave me and what I can do to your body. I see the way you look at me, I feel the way you touch me.” His mouth lowered to her ear. “I promised I’d leave today. And so I shall.”
His tongue swirled around the shell of her ear. “But I’m taking you with me.”
“My father would hunt you down,” Sapphire snapped, “and finish what the mercs started. The king would use my abduction to incite a call to arms. All hell would break loose—”
“If they knew where you were,” he murmured, “you might have a point.”
Wulf’s hands moved together at the side of her neck and suddenly the ground beneath her back was cold. Startled, her head jerked to the side, her wide eyes taking in her surroundings. She was pinned beneath him on a transfer pad; her atrium and the familiar surroundings of her home were gone. Panicked, she noted the shield on the wall and recognized the same crest that embellished Wulf’s signet ring—the D’Ashier royal family crest.
“I’m going to kick your ass,” she bit out.
Wulfric shielded her with his body until a servant came forward bearing a thick talgorite-red velvet robe, then he rose and covered her. Gaining aseated position, Sapphire clutched the rich material to her breasts. Royal guardsmen dressed in red and gold uniforms lined the walls of the transfer room. As they prostrated themselves respectfully, she realized that Wulfric’s return had been expected, as evidenced by the ready availability of the royal garment she was draped in.
“What the hell have you done?” she breathed.
He extended his hand to her. Sapphire ignored it, jumping to her feet and deliberately leaving the robe on the floor.
Stepping in front of her, Wulf blocked her nakedness from the guards behind him. He kicked up the robe with his bare foot, caught it in his hand, and held it out to her. “Cover yourself.”
Her chin lifted. “No.”
He moved so quickly, she had no time to avoid him. Within the space of a gasp, Wulfric had her swaddled in his royal robes and tossed over his shoulder.
“Damn you, Wulf.” She struggled to free her arms. “You’re starting to piss me off!”
He ignored her. Moving toward the exit, he barked orders en route. “Send a platoon to the return coordinates. I’ve adjusted the Guardian system to allow transfers from this pad’s signature, so you’ll have to instigate the engagement from here. Collect the servants and guards, and bring them to D’Ashier. Retrieve the home’s computer chip—undamaged. Nothing and no one that would betray my recent presence in Sari can be left behind.”
Sapphire screamed in frustration. “Put. Me. Down. Before I hurt you.”
Wulfric’s voice rose to drown out hers.
She bit him.
He swatted her buttocks with his free hand. “Stop that.”
“You know you can’t do this, you arrogant ass!”
She felt laughter rumble through him and saw the shocked expressions on the faces of his men. She glared at them.
“Tell the king I have returned.” He strode toward the door. “But I am not to be disturbed until tomorrow.”
Wulf cupped her backside possessively. “I’ll be busy a while.”
Wulf’s long-legged stride ate up the seemingly endless length of white stone hallway with ease. The guards stationed at various intervals bowed at the waist as he passed, their eyes wide as they stared at Katie squirming and swearing loudly over his shoulder. She had the vocabulary of a hardened soldier and she didn’t hesitate to use it. He’d never been so verbally abused in his life. Coming from Katie, he found he enjoyed it immensely.
The doors to his seraglio slid open when he approached. He
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