Page 13 of Birthright

Abbey managed to change the subject and the tone of the conversation as she refilled my cup. We talked and gossiped for another hour or so, and she told me more about WildLand and the races within it. Her demeanor was light, and she made me feel very comfortable. I liked her immediately and knew she would be a true friend and confidant. Before we parted, she told me about those on the island who supported Dema and her consorts—and among them, who would be in attendance tomorrow. If I could just keep them all straight.

I left her to the preparations for the next day and ventured back to my room. Manus was asleep at the foot of the bed, just as he had been for years.

I needed to get out of the room after a restless night with fitful sleep. “Hogan, don’t argue with me. I want to take a walk in the woods this morning. Please dress me appropriately.” He wrinkled his blue face in frustration as he made himself busy in my adjoining bathroom.

“It is not the time for you to be running wild in the forest, Keena.”

I bent down to be at eye level with him. “I feel drawn to the forest, Hogan. I’ll only be a while. Come with me if that makes you feel better. Please,” I pleaded.

Drawn didn’t even begin to describe the calling I felt. I needed to be out there. The forest offered peace and acceptance, and I needed that before I had to face the introduction ceremony. Hogan’s face, covered in those crystalline, shimmering scales that changed his bluish hue to green in certain light, looked uncertain. He blinked and a pile of fabric appeared at my feet. It swirled around me, and I lifted arms and legs to accommodate the moving fabric until I was wearing a pair of breeches that fit like a second skin, a navy top, and boots.

“Only for a few minutes, my lady. The ceremony is but a few hours away.”

I kissed his cute little head so hard he stumbled backward, and turned toward the outside before he could change his mind or call Manus. He had to trot to keep up. I felt electricity snapping over my nerves as I stepped into the grass. It was nothing like what we experienced with Doran on the docks yesterday, but I felt it down low in my belly and my hand went to the source of that power. I smothered the urge to rip off my boots and walk barefoot in the grass. I’d have time for that later. For now, I was drawn to the forest and moved quickly to be in it. I hesitated just at the edge of the manicured yard.

“Go on, it is where you belong.” Hogan caught up to me and shooed me with his hands. “Just not long.”

“I know. I feel it.” And I did. I stepped slowly into the trees. They were a mix of pine, oak, ash, and every other tree I had ever seen, and some I hadn’t. The morning light spilled through the canopy and danced around me. I felt alive, alert and strong. I started running in joy. My blood was pulsing in my ears, the sound pounding in my head. Hogan couldn’t keep up, but I didn’t care. I just ran. I had no trouble with the tangle of roots and broken, dead limbs. I moved carelessly through the forest, in it, part of the wildness of it, part of the energy that made it a living place. An energy I would have never felt while living in the human world.

It was exhilarating, humbling, and freeing.

I came to a small clearing and stopped to take a longer look, as if called by an unheard summons. On the far side, tucked behind a small blooming dogwood, was a fawn. The tiny white spots on her back twitched as I slowly moved toward her, but she stood her ground. Stopping a few feet from her, I held out my hand.

A noise came from behind me. Damn it, Hogan. The tiny doe turned and ran off into the forest. I spun around to scold Hogan for interrupting—and there in front of me, standing bold and brilliant in the little clearing, was one of the great white horses. He stepped gracefully on huge hooves toward me, lowered his head to my hand and tried to grab my fingers in his lips. The leathery feel of them tickled my skin and silky strands of luxurious mane teased my wrist. He pulled away smoothly, moved over to a large stone at the side of the clearing and stretched out his rear and front legs, parking out to lower his back. Sure of his intentions, I stepped on the stone and lifted myself quite ungracefully onto his back. He stood proud and tall as I centered myself on his muscled withers and ran my hands over his lustrous coat.

“Keena, that’s not a good idea,” Hogan warned, stumbling over a root and into the clearing. The horse took off in a gentle canter through the trees. I could hear Hogan’s voice drifting after us but not his words. The mighty horse moved so smoothly that branches were always just out of reach. The feel of his muscles under my legs and the wind in my face was invigorating. There was no fear of falling, only exuberance. I held tight to his mane and clutched his sides with my knees. We ran on and on until I could see crashing waves in the distance.

The animal slowed to a trot and snorted from the exercise. I rubbed his shoulder and murmured thanks to him as we stood watching the waves on the empty shore.

I felt a tingle of nerves from the horse right before he spun around and reared. I tried to gain purchase but slid backward off his rump, landing in a painful pile on the ground. I covered my head to protect it from his hooves as he reared again and then galloped back to the forest.

When I managed to catch my breath and look up, Kendrick, Dema’s Vamp consort, stood looming over me. Shit.

“Well, I see you’ve met the ceffyl-dwr, Keena.” He spat my name. “You shouldn’t be wandering the forest alone. You never know what you might meet.”

As his sneer turned to an unnerving smile, I did a backward crabwalk away from him and tried to get my feet under me. He followed my movements and lunged. With fangs exposed, he fought to grab my throat.

I managed to drive a fist into his chin and roll away from him. My pulse was racing, my training kicking in, but he was too fast and got a hand on my arm before I could right myself. His other hand gripped my chin, pushing my face to the side. He was going in for the kill. So frightened that I forgot all my techniques, I could only think to knee him as hard as I could in the nuts.

It worked.

He let go briefly and I tried to run back into the forest. I was swiftly halted by his fist in my hair, the pain making me squeal. I reached for his hand as the searing pain of ripping hair pulled me backward to the ground. Kendrick fell to his knees, straddling me, his hands holding mine down in the sand.

I struggled against his grip but the hold was too strong. Dark eyes filled with rage held mine as he pulled his lips back, hissing, to expose his fangs. I screamed and tried to break free again. Useless really, against his strength, but I tried anyway.

Before I could finish the scream, Kendrick was gone. Pulled off me and flung all the way to the water’s edge. I was pulled to my feet just as fast and found myself face-to-face with Tynan. The intensity in his eyes took my breath.

“You’re okay, Ma Guerrière?” It was both a question and a statement. The grip he had on my shoulders eased so he could turn my head from side to side to see if Kendrick had managed to bite. When he was sure there was no real damage, he tenderly rubbed the side of my face and pulled me into his arms.

I let myself feel protected by the strong body wrapped around mine. I still hadn’t said anything. Pressing forward, I melted into the hardness of his chest. “The man is a monster.”

With the adrenaline and the rush from my experience in the forest running through my blood, I couldn’t fight the lure of his body pressed against mine. From the knees up, I could feel every hard line. I closed my eyes and imagined what his naked flesh would be like pressed against me like this. Not able to stop myself, I slid my hands around his waist and clung to him. The muscles of his back tightened slightly in response to my touch. His hands cupped my face as he pressed his cheek to mine. “Keena, we need to talk about this, about us.”

The deep rumbling of his voice only made it harder to be this close. My body was crying for his. My pussy was wet and wanting and I had just escaped death. This was not right.

Shaking my head, I pulled away. “I can’t⁠—”

“Over here!” Manus shouted from the tree line. I could hear his movements as he joined us. It was a good thing he’d shown up. I didn’t trust myself alone with Tynan. I attempted to shake away the barren feeling left in my heart, knowing I had to walk away from him. I would not give in and have him bound to me for eternity.