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Instead, I rallied whatever willpower I had left and gently kicked Samju's door closed, making sure the lock engaged.
This time, I stopped at Vespa's stall, who stared accusingly at me. With both of my hands occupied, I had no choice but to ask the kallini, "Stick your hand in my right pocket; I have a treat for him in there."
Alahna's face flushed as her hand moved into my pants pocket and my cock stirred when she brushed against my hardened shaft. Her face flushed even deeper but she retrieved the hardened pieces of bread and held them out to Vespa, who gently nibbled first one then another from her hand, making me wonder when he had become so gentle.
"You must be famished," I mumbled as I carried her out of the stable.
"I am," she confessed, relaxing back into my embrace.
"There is food in my chamber," I assured her.
Ihadneverfeltthis safe and cherished in my life and couldn't believe Brogan came for me. Me! But here I was, snug in his arms, as he carried me through the cold courtyard and into the great hall.
Had it only been this morning that I stood here, shivering, half-naked, and frozen in fear? What a difference only a few hours had made and how much had already happened in such a small amount of time.
Without any strain or effort, he carried me up the narrow winding staircase with steps that seemed to go on forever until we reached his quarters. Two guards, different from this morning, opened the door for us.
Warmth had already greeted me in the great hall, but here it was even warmer thanks to a large fire roaring in the gas fireplace, enveloping me in a sensation of comfort.
"Here." He sat me down on a chair in front of a table topped with covered dishes. "What would you like?"
Which was when I noticed the bandage on his arm and remembered Samju hurting him earlier. "I'm so sorry, does it hurt?"
I pointed at his arm when he gave me a questioning look.
"I barely notice it's there," he grunted, shaking his head. "The bandage is more irritating than the wound," he assured me and lifted dome after dome until an incredible aroma of stewed meat, roasted vegetables, and yeasty bread filled the room, making my stomach grumble.
He took a plate and began filling it as I greedily pointed from one dish to another. Guilt for Samju having hurt him still gnawed at my mind, but warmth spread through me at the thought that Brogan didn't seem to hold it against my horse. I knew other men would have been furious, might have even demanded Samju to be put down.
Not him though.
Something stirred inside me, something that made me look closer at the fearsome warlord standing across from me. He wasn't like what I had been told about Thyre warlords at all.
"I like a kallini with a good appetite." He chuckled, handing me a filled plate.
I took it, unsure if that meant women of his status were pickier about their foods and if I should have held back, but his eyes encouraged me to dig in, and I was starved, so I did. I hadn't eaten much during the past few weeks after my father's death. First the grief and then being taken as a tribute into an unknown future had taken a toll on my appetite, which seemed to have made a full comeback.
"Oh, good gods, this is good." I rolled my eyes as I bit into the first tasty bite of the softest meat.
"I'm glad you like it," he said, filling his own plate, and I wondered again about my manners and if I should have waited for him to sit and eat first.
"Go ahead, I like watching you eat," he encouraged, waving his hand holding a serving spoon.
He didn't have to tell me twice. My father had always been able to put food on our table, even if sometimes it had only been hard bread and cheese, but I had never had to go hungry.
This food though? That was an entirely different story. Did all Thyres eat like this?
"Just so that there are no more misunderstandings," he said after a while, dabbing his mouth with a cloth napkin, "this is your home." He indicated his chamber. "You will sleep and eat here with me if we don't dine in the great hall, where your place is next to me, understood?"
I nodded, and swallowed a bite down before I said, "Yes."
"Good." He offered me a glass of spirited berry juice.
I took a sip and felt the alcohol instantly warm my belly and limbs.
"Now," he said, and I rose when he rose, "come here and kiss me."
Anticipation fluttered inside my stomach as I stepped forward. When I reached him, I rose on my tiptoes to press my lips against his. His hands encircled my waist, and he lifted me up. I instinctively slung my arms around his neck and opened my mouth eagerly awaiting his tongue.
