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Authors: Charlotte Boyett-Compo
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grinned. “Aye, that describes me well enough.”
Kynthia sniffed. “I don’t find you strange and you have yet to jump up on the rock and bellow like a bull. Do you swing your arms, pound your chest and make grunting sounds like the apes on Ostara?”
“No, but once every third month I change into a wolf-like being and lope about the island in search of rabbits from which I drink enough blood to satisfy my ungodly hunger.”
Pretending a huge yawn, Kynthia patted her mouth with her hand. “Oh, what a sight that must be.”
“You’ll soon find out,” he said, the smile slipping from his face.
Kynthia started to laugh, but when she saw that he was watching her steadily, his face devoid of all humor she felt a tingle of unease quiver down her spine.
Chapter Five
Galatea glanced up as her niece came into the drawing room. She smiled and laid aside the sampler she was stitching. “You don’t look as though you enjoyed your nap in the pantry.”
“You know I didn’t,” Kynthia grumbled. She poured herself a goblet of her aunt’s sherry and sat down before the roaring fire.
Settling back, Galatea braced her elbows on the arms of her chair, steepled her fingers and rested them under her chin. “Did you search out the handsome brute that made off with your horse?”
“Aye.”
“And did you find him?”
“I found him.”
“A veritable god, isn’t he?”
Kynthia drained the sherry then threw the glass into the fireplace. As the goblet shattered, she turned her angry eyes to her aunt. “You took him against his will.”
“We take them all against their will, Kynthia. Think you they would come here of their own accord?”
“Why did you do it?”
Galatea rolled her eyes. “You know we have been searching for a suitable mate for you and—”
“You took part in the attack against him!” Kynthia accused. “The others, you left for me to send on their way but this one you brutalized.”
“Brutalized?” her aunt said, her eyes wide. “Nay, I did not brutalize that prime specimen. Taunted—perhaps. But brutalized?” She shook her head. “If he says so, he lies.”
Kynthia narrowed her eyes. “You sucked his cock!”
A long sigh came from Galatea. “That I did, and what a big cock it was.” She grinned. “Did you get a look at it?”
“No!” Kynthia lied.
Galatea raised an eyebrow.
“Well, aye, but I wasn’t really looking at it!” her niece admitted.
“What were you looking at, then?”
“A very angry High Warrior!” Kynthia snapped. “And one who saw me change last eve.”
The humor vanished instantly from Galatea’s eyes and she sat straight up in the chair, her hands gripping the arms. “He saw you Transition?” At her niece’s curt nod, the older woman flinched. “This is bad, Kynthia. This is very bad.”
“I am to meet him tonight and get my horse back,” Kynthia told her aunt.
“No!” Galatea denied. She came to her feet in a lithe bound that belied her years. “He’ll have men there and they will try to kill you, Kynthia. You must not meet him!”
“I vowed I would, and I will keep that vow. He’ll be alone.”
“You don’t know that!”
“Aye, but I do,” Kynthia said.
“How?”
Her niece smiled nastily. “Because I bother him.”
* * * * *
Leksi paced the ground from one tall date palm to another and started the trek again. The moon was high overhead, yet the lady for whom he waited had not appeared. He was growing concerned and his pacing increased. Now and again, he glanced over at her horse but the animal was standing placidly, ground-hobbled.
“Where’s your lady, Aeolus?” the warrior asked. “Why isn’t she here?”
The steed bobbed its head up and down, causing the bridle to tinkle. It pawed the ground a few times then lowered its elegant head to munch the oats scattered in front of it.
“Unconcerned about her, eh?” Leksi chuckled.
It was the pricking of the beast’s ears that alerted the warrior to the fact he
Kynthia sniffed. “I don’t find you strange and you have yet to jump up on the rock and bellow like a bull. Do you swing your arms, pound your chest and make grunting sounds like the apes on Ostara?”
“No, but once every third month I change into a wolf-like being and lope about the island in search of rabbits from which I drink enough blood to satisfy my ungodly hunger.”
Pretending a huge yawn, Kynthia patted her mouth with her hand. “Oh, what a sight that must be.”
“You’ll soon find out,” he said, the smile slipping from his face.
Kynthia started to laugh, but when she saw that he was watching her steadily, his face devoid of all humor she felt a tingle of unease quiver down her spine.
Chapter Five
Galatea glanced up as her niece came into the drawing room. She smiled and laid aside the sampler she was stitching. “You don’t look as though you enjoyed your nap in the pantry.”
“You know I didn’t,” Kynthia grumbled. She poured herself a goblet of her aunt’s sherry and sat down before the roaring fire.
Settling back, Galatea braced her elbows on the arms of her chair, steepled her fingers and rested them under her chin. “Did you search out the handsome brute that made off with your horse?”
“Aye.”
“And did you find him?”
“I found him.”
“A veritable god, isn’t he?”
Kynthia drained the sherry then threw the glass into the fireplace. As the goblet shattered, she turned her angry eyes to her aunt. “You took him against his will.”
“We take them all against their will, Kynthia. Think you they would come here of their own accord?”
“Why did you do it?”
Galatea rolled her eyes. “You know we have been searching for a suitable mate for you and—”
“You took part in the attack against him!” Kynthia accused. “The others, you left for me to send on their way but this one you brutalized.”
“Brutalized?” her aunt said, her eyes wide. “Nay, I did not brutalize that prime specimen. Taunted—perhaps. But brutalized?” She shook her head. “If he says so, he lies.”
Kynthia narrowed her eyes. “You sucked his cock!”
A long sigh came from Galatea. “That I did, and what a big cock it was.” She grinned. “Did you get a look at it?”
“No!” Kynthia lied.
Galatea raised an eyebrow.
“Well, aye, but I wasn’t really looking at it!” her niece admitted.
“What were you looking at, then?”
“A very angry High Warrior!” Kynthia snapped. “And one who saw me change last eve.”
The humor vanished instantly from Galatea’s eyes and she sat straight up in the chair, her hands gripping the arms. “He saw you Transition?” At her niece’s curt nod, the older woman flinched. “This is bad, Kynthia. This is very bad.”
“I am to meet him tonight and get my horse back,” Kynthia told her aunt.
“No!” Galatea denied. She came to her feet in a lithe bound that belied her years. “He’ll have men there and they will try to kill you, Kynthia. You must not meet him!”
“I vowed I would, and I will keep that vow. He’ll be alone.”
“You don’t know that!”
“Aye, but I do,” Kynthia said.
“How?”
Her niece smiled nastily. “Because I bother him.”
* * * * *
Leksi paced the ground from one tall date palm to another and started the trek again. The moon was high overhead, yet the lady for whom he waited had not appeared. He was growing concerned and his pacing increased. Now and again, he glanced over at her horse but the animal was standing placidly, ground-hobbled.
“Where’s your lady, Aeolus?” the warrior asked. “Why isn’t she here?”
The steed bobbed its head up and down, causing the bridle to tinkle. It pawed the ground a few times then lowered its elegant head to munch the oats scattered in front of it.
“Unconcerned about her, eh?” Leksi chuckled.
It was the pricking of the beast’s ears that alerted the warrior to the fact he
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