Forbidden Craving: The Nymph King / The Beautiful Ashes

One of his warriors reached her first, his strong arms wrapping around her from behind. Shivawn disarmed her and swooped her up into his embrace. She screamed and kicked, fighting like an enraged vampire out for blood.

A feral growl rose in Valerian’s throat, and he bit back a wave of fury. Fury over his woman’s torment; fury over his intense surge of possessiveness. Mine! She belongs to me! He’d never experienced a moment’s jealousy in his life, and yet the sight of another man holding his little moonbeam pushed him into madness.

“Mine,” he barked. Even though he wanted to rip the warrior’s arms away from her, he remained still. “She’s mine.”

Shivawn paused, the beads in his hair clanging together. The moonbeam continued to fight, pounding her fists into his face, making him grimace and bleed.

“She isn’t willing to go with you,” Valerian said, doing his best to remain calm. She only wants my touch.

Frowning, Shivawn released her to clasp another woman against him. A dark-haired beauty who also looked less than pleased by the happenings around her.

Hmm. Very odd. Another unhappy one. What was wrong with these surface females?

His moonbeam quieted and stilled at last.

“Do you know who I am?” Valerian asked, using her language, his tone gentle. Recognize me. He sheathed his sword.

“What do you want with us?” she demanded a second time, ignoring his question.

“I want nothing to do with the others,” he replied honestly. “My soldiers have issued invitations to the single females to come and live with us. Invitations that are being accepted, as you can see.”

She gaped at him. “Only because you’ve somehow drugged them.”

“The only thing we’ve done...is breathe.”

“And what do you mean, live with you?” she continued. “Live with you where?”

“Under the sea.”

“The sea,” she echoed. She licked her bottom lip, the sight of her tongue nearly unmanning him. “You’re lying.”

“I will never lie to you.”

Now confusion knitted her brows. “You sound so sure, so determined.”

“I am.”

“You don’t even know me, and I certainly don’t want to know you. After I pick you out of a police lineup, I hope to never see you again.”

She had no desire to accompany him. The realization dumbfounded him.

My mate would rather live her life without me.

No. No! His sudden appearance had shocked her. She just needed time. With him. With his pheromone.

Time she would one day thank him for giving her.

“You’re not going to like what happens next,” Valerian told her. “I apologize for that.” He gently lifted her in his arms. The side of her body pressed against his chest, and everywhere their skin touched, he burned.

Unable to resist, he burrowed his nose in the hollow of her neck, breathing in her delectable fragrance while relishing the softness of her pale skin.

“Are you sniffing me?” she demanded.

“Yes. Would you like to sniff me in turn?”

“No!”

His shoulders slumped with disappointment.

“If you don’t put me down,” she said, each word sounding as if it were being forced from her throat, “I’m going to claw out your eyes and eat them in front of you.”

He chuckled, his disappointment forgotten. She had a sweet face and a bloodthirsty disposition. What a delicious contradiction.

“Why are you laughing? I’m not teasing, and I’m most certainly not accepting your invitation and going with you.”

He did stop laughing. “You alone have no choice. You are coming with me no matter what.”

A muscle ticked in her jaw.

When their gazes met, blue against golden brown, he inhaled sharply. Awareness sizzled inside him, stronger than before. Such beauty. His nostrils flared, and he knew his pupils dilated. His body hardened painfully.

She gulped, her already pale skin becoming pallid.

“You’re going to kidnap me?”

“Have you changed your mind about coming with me?”

“No!”

“Then yes. Yes, I am going to kidnap you.”

CHAPTER FOUR (#udb12d2a9-2539-576b-8fe3-d38b058f3809)

“YES, I AM going to kidnap you.”

To Shaye, the quiet determination in the warrior’s voice proved more frightening than a bellow because he wasn’t overcome by emotion, and he knew his mind wouldn’t be swayed.

She should be screaming for help. Instead, she only wanted to snuggle against her captor. Her freaking captor!

A delicious heat had woven through her blood. A heat that begged her to stop resisting and enjoy every stolen touch, every caress of the man’s warm, clean breath on her skin.

“This is wrong,” she grated. “This is not okay. This mantitlement will not stand!”

“Mantitlement?” He chuckled. “I vow to you here and now, I’ll never harm you. I will protect you with my life. I will cherish and pamper you. You’ll see.”

“Said every captor to every victim.” Her stomach roiled. “Why do you want us to live with you?” Maid service? Sex slaves?

Her stomach roiled harder.