Never again, Freya thought as the ride dragged on forever. She was stiff as a board as the horse raced to take them far away from the creature. This had to be the worst ride she ever took. He gripped the reigns with their shackled hand and her thoughts lingered uncomfortably on the strength in his back to which her cheek was pressed. His scent invaded her nose with every breath, all male and wolf and she shifted uncomfortably, nearly falling off the horse’s back. Against her, he sat stiff as a board and she wished she could see his face to catch a glimpse of what he was thinking of at this moment. Was she the only one affected?“What the hell was that?!” She hollered in his ear to distract herself. “I’m right in front of you. Why are you yelling?” He growled. “Well answer me. What the hell just nearly ate me for dinner?!” She hollered again. “That was a Gordon. They are thousands of years old and have long gone extinct.” Replied Riordan. “No shit! That lady didn’t look very ext
“Riordan!” Vinaud said as he stood up. Riordan extended a hand which he pumped enthusiastically before he motioned him to the seat opposite him.“Sit.” Said Vinaud and when Riordan moved to do just that, Freya followed and Vinaud’s attention finally snagged on her. His brows rose into the air. “Who is she?” He asked harshly. “Reynette, my mistress.” Replied Riordan. Vinaud tsked and his gaze never left her. “Mixing business with pleasure, big man?” He asked and Riordan smirked and jerked her forward. “This one time is worth it. She won’t leave my side, and her lips are sealed.” Replied Riordan. She watched their host from deep within her cape and she held her breath, choking on the tense moment that felt explosive. He hadn’t moved a muscle and was still staring at her with lowered brows, like he would pull down her cape any minute to satisfy his curiosity. “Do I know her?” He directed the question at Riordan who chuckled. “I doubt. Forgive her manners, she is a shy one.” Vin
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Freya replied stiffly and he smiled and pulled the hood down from her face. “Am I mistaken?” Riordan asked with a smirk. “Then should we go back out and ask him what he remembers about you?”She glared at him and shoved his chest hard but he didn’t budge. “Who are you to pry into my business?” She gritted out. “If you wanted to hand me over to him you should have done it from the start.”“Hand you over?” He scoffed. “No, I don’t plan to do that at all. What did you steal from him?”“It’s none of your business.” She repeated and he nodded. “You’re right, it doesn’t much matter what you took. What matters is that there have been thousands before you that have attempted to steal from Vinaud. Nobody ever succeeded, until you.” Said Riordan. She frowned and studied him. “Are you going somewhere with this?”“You’re the only person that ever succeeded in stealing from Vinaud and walking free, Shadow. I need you to do it again.” “No.” She said im
Heat bloomed in her belly and she knew she was making a mistake and yet, she couldn’t pull back. He stroked up her waist, lightly over the side of her breast and she moaned. His lips were just inches away and her hunger startled her and shook her to her bones. What would they feel like on hers? What would he taste like? His fingers cascaded into her hair and he leaned her back, slowly closing the distance between them. Her spine arched invitingly and she felt the brush of his rigid cock. A moan parted her lips again and she rolled her hips experimentally, causing his breath to explode from his lungs in one rush. Her fingers dug into his shoulders even as she shook her head. “We must stop.” She whispered. “No.” He growled, his voice so deep it was barely over a grumble. “Need you.” Gooseflesh broke out all over her skin and those muttered words broke a dam she had been holding closed with the force of her might. She went on her toes, needing to taste him as she pressed her lips to
She had never scrambled up ledges as fast as she did now. Her heart was pounding with adrenaline and Riordan finally pushed a window in and she followed. “Come on!” He grabbed her arm and started running for the door when they heard voices yelling commands from right outside. “Go in! Search all the rooms!” They heard the order and she turned to him with wide eyes. “What should we do?”He glanced around at the room and his eyes snagged on the wardrobe on the other side. “In there!” He commanded and dragged her forward. He shoved the door open and pushed in, hurrying after her and closing the wardrobe door just as another door was thrown open from outside. The smell of dusty clothes assailed her nostrils and she held her breath, realising that for what felt like the tenth time today, she was in a position with him that she would have preferred not to be in at all. She held her breath and stared at his chest, refusing to look into his eyes, afraid of what she would see smouldering
There was a tense moment when the two men glared at each other, neither backing down before Riordan finally shrugged. “As you will.” He did and raised his arms. “Search my person.”Vinaud smiled, all lips and no teeth. “Thank you for your understanding as usual.” He said and jerked his chin towards her. “Ah.” Riordan said and held an arm out between her and the burly wolf that had been headed for her. “She’s off limits.”Vinaud’s jaw ticked. “I know how you must feel but she must be searched.” Vinaud said and Riordan straightened to his full towering length and stared down his nose at the rest of them. “Reynette is off-limits.” He said again simply. “Nobody touches her but me.” “Do not complicate this old friend.” Vinaud growled and Riordan held a hand. “Me, you can manhandle. Anyone that touches my woman is a symbol of war. If your trust in our alliance does not even hold that much salt then it is war.” Riordan stressed dangerously. His woman? Shivers ran down her spine at the
”He’s not dead.” Freya insisted in front of Aremin. “I’m sure of it. Allow me to go back. Please! Let me finish the job.”Aremin said nothing, his fingers steepled in front of him as he watched her from under his lashes with an unimpressed expression. She paced, agitated. How was she the only one that cared that he might still be alive? Why was it that everyone acted like he was not one of the most difficult people in the world to kill?“One more chance.” She said, hurrying to his desk. “Just one more chance.”“Freya.” Aremin said and stood and she straightened, sure she would not like his verdict. “You used to hate my bonds.” He said and she frowned. What was he talking about?He jerked a chin to her wrists which were still shackled in front of her. “I could never bind you for more than an hour. You fought like a tigress until the bindings came off.” “Oh.” She said, realising her wrists were stilll shackled in front of her. “Can you take them off?” She asked, holding her hands out.
Riordan paced in his study, his mind whirring on a hundred things in a second when the door was pushed in and Fellin strode in with some papers. “Okay so I have the news right here and it says that Vinaud is turning everything upside down right now as it seems something very important is missing.” His Beta peered at him suspiciously. “We wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with this would we?”Riordan took his seat and sorted the last sheaf of papers on his desk. “The place I talked about earlier. Get it ready, I need the place set up before tomorrow.” Riordan said and Fellin stopped in his tracks. “You’re not thinking of going after the assassin again are you?” Fellin asked him, incredulous and when he only replied him with a deadpan expression, Fellin made a frustrated noise at the back of his throat. “This is bordering on obsession at this point. You already tried this thing with this female and it didn’t work out. Perhaps it’s for the best. Mira is dead but there are things