Page 25 of Captive of Secrets and Storms

He’s tall. Towering. His shoulders are wide enough to block the sun. Waist-length hair the color of polished gold frames a face that’s both rugged and beautiful in a wild, untamed way. The strands fall over the hard planes of his bare torso. Gray fur pelts sit over his back and shoulders, the primitive style of clothing out of place amid Port City’s vibrant streets.

Gods.

I swallow hard.

Is he even human?

The thought jolts me.

My gaze snaps up, but his ears are hidden beneath those golden waves.

“Mmm.” His voice is deep, smoky. “I do enjoy it when a woman admires my physique.”

It takes a moment for me to understand his strong accent. When I do, I stiffen.

His grin spreads, slow and deliberate, flashing bright-white teeth against the stubble darkening his jaw. Every inch of him radiates confidence, strength, and danger.

“What’s your name?”

I step back, but the bustling crowd around me closes in, not letting me get far. I straighten when someone knocks into me and press my heels into the ground.

The stranger watches me expectantly. Behind him, someone shifts. Two more fur-clad men stand a couple of feet away. They aren’t as broad as the man in front of me, but their golden blond strands are a close match to their companion’s.

The two men scan the streets with hawk-like eyes. Swords are strapped to leather belts wrapped around the middle of their naked torsos. His guards, maybe?

“My lady?” The words sound more like ma leedy and are laced with amusement. “Did you hear me?”

I frown at the title, but the politeness that’s been engrained in me since I was a child prompts me to answer, “Elara.”

He dips his head, lips curving. “How fitting.”

“Pardon?”

Broad shoulders rise with a deep inhale, and his nostrils flare. “You smell like moonlight and the dawn of day. Like the night and sun’s rays. But the light is more potent. Your namesake suits you.”

Um…okay. This guy is mad.

“Thank you…” I angle my head to look around him.

Jaxon and Darius remain preoccupied with the barmaid, leaning their elbows on the bar top, not even looking in my direction.

“You are most welcome.” His eyes sparkle. “What would you say to having a drink with me?”

I blink.

I’ve witnessed men and women flirt my entire life, but rarely with me. Not since Lev and I became a couple. No man in Verdanthia would dare cross an Ironheart in that way.

So while this song and dance isn’t new…I don’t know what to say.

I stare at his pale-blue eyes and recognition tickles the back of my mind.

Have I seen him before?

Instead of responding to his invitation, I ask, “What is your name?”

He opens his mouth to speak, but before he can make a sound, a tendril of darkness snaps in the air between us, wraps around my arm, and pulls.

I stumble back and collide with a firm torso. The markings on my forearms go crazy.