was breathing hard. She was no different.
A rhythmic thumping came from the direction of the library. Regan pulled away from Ian, her eyes wide. She felt a blush climb her cheeks. “Is that what I think it is?” she whispered.
“Yeah. The troll is getting it on—”
Regan finished the sentence. “With his wife.”
“Yup.”
“How do they do it? Did you see how he is with her? He should write a book on how to love a woman.”
“I’d read it. Your gender is mostly a mystery to me, to most men.”
A high-pitched squeal forced Regan’s hands to her lips and when a trollish groan followed, Ian shook his head, laughing softly.
“What do we do now?” Regan asked.
“I don’t know. Wait till they come out, I guess.”
Regan chuckled. “I didn’t mean about Vojalie and Davido. I meant about us.”
He turned back to her, frowning. “You need to stay here in Camberlaune. It was stupid to think I could let you take off. I’d be worried about you the whole time because if some other mastyr ever got hold of you, some bastard without a conscience, you could end up in a bonded relationship that could hurt you forever. And I don’t think I’d be able to forgive myself. Maybe I have issues with what happened a long time ago, but I don’t have a problem with you sticking close, not until all of this is settled.
“Besides, you know the lay-out of Margetta’s fortress and encampment. None of the rest of us do. You’re the logical person to answer all the questions any of us will have.
“And Stone reminded me about something Mastyr Malik had shared with us. When he was battling the Invictus in his realm, he’d asked Zane to come in for support. When Zane reacted to Willow in the same way Stone recently responded to you, Malik used a small portion of Willow’s blood and painted streaks up both arms. Zane said it made a huge difference in his ability to withstand the pull toward Willow.”
“That’s right,” Regan said. “I remember hearing something about that.”
Ian offered a half-smile. “I have no doubt Malik made sure Zane stayed away from Willow, but it really helped. What do you say? Will you mark me with your blood?”
Regan knew she’d just stumbled into really dangerous territory. Everything about the situation warned her to keep her distance but here he was suggesting she mark him to help keep other mastyrs away. It was bad enough she’d already agreed to stick close to him until they had everything figured out. But the giving of her blood in such an earthy cavewoman sort of way, had warning bells clanging loudly inside her head.
“Ian, is it really necessary? Can’t we just make sure that I’m not around other unbonded mastyrs?”
He might have answered, but Davido called to him. Regan shifted to look past Ian and saw that Vojalie stood beside her man. The troll was grinning ear to ear and a warm blush suffused his wife’s face.
Vojalie held his arm, her eyes full of affection as she looked down at him.
Davido called out. “We must be going, Ian. Thank you for the cognac.” His smile broadened when he looked at Regan. “And I suggest you indulge your interest in the mastyr. Life is very short, even for us long-lived types. Make the most of every opportunity.”
And with the extraordinary power the troll possessed, the couple simply vanished.
“With so much ability between them,” Regan said, “why don’t they battle alongside us?”
“I’ve wondered the same thing, and I’ve asked Davido to intervene with Margetta, but he refuses. He said he made war for the first thousand years of his life, but promised himself never again. I guess if you’ve served that long as a warrior, it’s enough, no matter how many centuries you added to your belt after.”
He glanced behind him. “Listen, are you hungry? My housekeeper always keeps soup and some of her homemade bread stocked in my refrigerator.”
At the suggestion, she put a hand to her stomach. “I’m starved, so yes,
A rhythmic thumping came from the direction of the library. Regan pulled away from Ian, her eyes wide. She felt a blush climb her cheeks. “Is that what I think it is?” she whispered.
“Yeah. The troll is getting it on—”
Regan finished the sentence. “With his wife.”
“Yup.”
“How do they do it? Did you see how he is with her? He should write a book on how to love a woman.”
“I’d read it. Your gender is mostly a mystery to me, to most men.”
A high-pitched squeal forced Regan’s hands to her lips and when a trollish groan followed, Ian shook his head, laughing softly.
“What do we do now?” Regan asked.
“I don’t know. Wait till they come out, I guess.”
Regan chuckled. “I didn’t mean about Vojalie and Davido. I meant about us.”
He turned back to her, frowning. “You need to stay here in Camberlaune. It was stupid to think I could let you take off. I’d be worried about you the whole time because if some other mastyr ever got hold of you, some bastard without a conscience, you could end up in a bonded relationship that could hurt you forever. And I don’t think I’d be able to forgive myself. Maybe I have issues with what happened a long time ago, but I don’t have a problem with you sticking close, not until all of this is settled.
“Besides, you know the lay-out of Margetta’s fortress and encampment. None of the rest of us do. You’re the logical person to answer all the questions any of us will have.
“And Stone reminded me about something Mastyr Malik had shared with us. When he was battling the Invictus in his realm, he’d asked Zane to come in for support. When Zane reacted to Willow in the same way Stone recently responded to you, Malik used a small portion of Willow’s blood and painted streaks up both arms. Zane said it made a huge difference in his ability to withstand the pull toward Willow.”
“That’s right,” Regan said. “I remember hearing something about that.”
Ian offered a half-smile. “I have no doubt Malik made sure Zane stayed away from Willow, but it really helped. What do you say? Will you mark me with your blood?”
Regan knew she’d just stumbled into really dangerous territory. Everything about the situation warned her to keep her distance but here he was suggesting she mark him to help keep other mastyrs away. It was bad enough she’d already agreed to stick close to him until they had everything figured out. But the giving of her blood in such an earthy cavewoman sort of way, had warning bells clanging loudly inside her head.
“Ian, is it really necessary? Can’t we just make sure that I’m not around other unbonded mastyrs?”
He might have answered, but Davido called to him. Regan shifted to look past Ian and saw that Vojalie stood beside her man. The troll was grinning ear to ear and a warm blush suffused his wife’s face.
Vojalie held his arm, her eyes full of affection as she looked down at him.
Davido called out. “We must be going, Ian. Thank you for the cognac.” His smile broadened when he looked at Regan. “And I suggest you indulge your interest in the mastyr. Life is very short, even for us long-lived types. Make the most of every opportunity.”
And with the extraordinary power the troll possessed, the couple simply vanished.
“With so much ability between them,” Regan said, “why don’t they battle alongside us?”
“I’ve wondered the same thing, and I’ve asked Davido to intervene with Margetta, but he refuses. He said he made war for the first thousand years of his life, but promised himself never again. I guess if you’ve served that long as a warrior, it’s enough, no matter how many centuries you added to your belt after.”
He glanced behind him. “Listen, are you hungry? My housekeeper always keeps soup and some of her homemade bread stocked in my refrigerator.”
At the suggestion, she put a hand to her stomach. “I’m starved, so yes,
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