Read Online Hood's Obsession by Marie Hall - Free Book Online Page B

slightly less hostile cousins, the earth dwarves. So long as they had food and drink before them, they would be content.
    At the table over were sprites. Water sprites were known to be tricksters more than truly dangerous. Their skin and hair was the pale blue of their lagoons. They were shapely, buxom maidens with voices that beguiled the unsuspecting and thirsty traveler.
    So long as one didn’t make eye contact with them, one would survive their charms. Mingled around the obvious creatures were humans. Mostly hunters, dressed in garbs of green and brown. They had grizzled appearances, as though they’d been camping in the forest for weeks, if not months, and each of them carried some form of weaponry strapped to their backs.
    And at the very center of the pub sat a man dressed entirely in green, with bushy blond hair and piercing blue eyes and a jaunty green cap perched on the top of his head. Poking over his shoulder was the tip of a broad bow. He studied Lilith so hard that she wondered whether he were capable of seeing beneath her disguise.
    She knew exactly who he was—around these parts the man was legend for his ferocity and willingness to exact justice even against those who’d make a lesser man tremble to think it.
    But finally he slammed his tankard of brew onto the chipped table and cried out, “Huzzah! To a job well done, men!”
    And like he’d cast a spell, instantly the crowd resumed what they’d been doing. The music began, the dwarves continued their wild chomping on the last vittles of the pig, and the orcs turned their backs to them.
    Releasing the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, she clutched Giles’s shirt far longer than normal. Even a wolf was no match for an army such as this.
    “We should go find us a table.” Giles whispered into her ear while leaning into her side, making her shiver from the contact. “Hidden in the back corner somewhere. I do not trust these men.”
    It’d been days since she’d entered heat and she thought she was learning how to control her riotous emotions, but the heated whisper of his words had shivered down her spine like a lover’s caress and made her ache down low.
    And even reminding herself that she danced with fire by allowing herself to wish for more than just a mere whisper in her ear didn’t seem to quench her hunger. No male had ever made her feel this crazy riot of emotions before. It was unnerving, exhilarating, and terrifying all at the same time.
    Taking a deep breath, she willed her traitorous body under control and nodded her head. “As you say, knight.”
    They meandered through the tight space, bumping into a few bodies too drunk to do more other than to grouse at being disturbed before finding a small, round table tucked against the leftmost wall and hidden partly in shadow.
    Taking a seat, Lilith was just about to give him a weak smile when an uneasy and strange feeling overcame her. The table next to theirs had three figures seated at it. The bodies were draped in black cloaks, and, with their heads bent, they seemed to be in a furious discussion of some sort.
    Though she couldn’t make out the faces, that horrible nagging feeling she’d been having for the past few minutes seemed to ratchet up in their presence.
    “What ye’ll have?” a merry voice interrupted her thoughts.
    Turning, Lilith’s eyes widened as she came face to face with a divine-looking creature. She was pale-skinned with arresting brown eyes. Her hair fell only to her chin and was a riotous mass of deep purple curls. She wore a tank top that revealed impressive musculature for a female. But that was not the most interesting part about their serving wench.
    “Yeah, I get those looks all the time.” She grinned, a wide-open and friendly smile. Not at all what one would typically expect in a pub known to cater to the dregs of Kingdom. “Name’s Kym.” She held out her hand. “Bitch on wheels,” she said, pointing to her white t-shirt emblazoned