Read Online The Duke and the Dryad (Elemental Series) by Elizabeth Rose - Free Book Online
Authors: Elizabeth Rose
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trespasser, and I was not hiding. Not really. Zev told me there was a n intruder and I didn’t know ’twas you.”
“Zev? ” He looked over to the wolf that now trotted to her side. She put out her hand to touch its head and it sat down next to her. “So Zev is your wolf. And the wolf is your pet.”
“Zev is no one’s pet. He is my traveling companion and my friend.”
“’Tis a big wolf,” he said, eyeing it up. He walked over to his sword and pulled it from the tree. Zev growled, meaning to protect her.
“Should I be frightened of the animal?” he asked.
“That’s up to you. But if you so much as lay a hand on me again, I can guarantee Zev would not think twice about tearing out your throat to protect me.”
“Call him off, and I’ll put away the sword.”
She gave the mental command and the wolf backed away and darted off through the forest.
“Is this where you live?” he asked, motioning with a jerk of his head to her hut.
“Aye.”
“Well, aren’t you going to ask me in?”
“What for?” The thought both scared her and excited her at the same time.
“Never mind.” He turned to go, then stepped back toward her. “I can’t let you stay here. You need to come back with me to the castle. We had a deal.”
“I would come back with you to fulfill my promise, but you need to let me return here every night in order to regain my strength. I cannot survive locked away like a prisoner within your stone walls. I need to feel the earth beneath my feet and breathe in the essence of the forest life around me if I am to survive in your world.”
He looked down to the ground and to her feet. “Where are your shoes?” he asked. “And how did you walk all the way here from the castle barefooted?”
“I don’t need shoes. That only keeps the earth’s vibrations from running through me. You should try it sometime and you’d see what I mean.”
“Well not tonight, my little sprite. Now get what you need and let’s be on our way.”
“I don’t need anyth ing. I already have what I need now that I’ve been refreshed. And are you going to agree to my terms and let me return each night or not?”
She was afraid he was going to deny her the request. Then he slowly nodded.
“If that’s what you require, then so be it.”
She followed him to the horse and he put his arms around her waist and helped her into the saddle. Now that she was refreshed, she felt his own vibrations running through her even more than before. Her body cried out for him, and when he pulled up into the saddle behind her and wrapped his arms around her, she felt the warmth of his embrace and lay back in his arms. The fae part of her warned her not to go with him, but the human part knew that there was nowhere else she wanted to be.
Chapter 5
Wolfe woke the next morning, once again, having slept in the great hall. This time, he was lying in the rushes scattered on the floor, and next to the hearth. A mangy dog strolled over, first sniffing him and then licking his face. He pushed the damned thing away from him and sat up, brushing the stiff marsh grass out of his hair. The fire had died and the chill from the cold stones ran through his body. Damn, he missed his bed. But starting tomorrow, he’d have it all to himself.
He got to his feet, running a hand through his hair, wondering what the hell he’d been thinking to let Rae talk him into letting her leave every night. He wanted her in his bed so bad that he’d been able to think of nothing else. And though he thought he’d been showing her he was in control by not taking her the other night, now he regretted it. For now he’d now see her during the day and come nightfall he’d be hot and bothered and once again all alone.
“Lord Wolf e, sleeping in the great hall again? Is something wrong?” Sir Braden sat at the trestle table with several of Wolfe’s knights, pulling his long hair back into a queue as he spoke. There were wooden goblets on the
“Zev? ” He looked over to the wolf that now trotted to her side. She put out her hand to touch its head and it sat down next to her. “So Zev is your wolf. And the wolf is your pet.”
“Zev is no one’s pet. He is my traveling companion and my friend.”
“’Tis a big wolf,” he said, eyeing it up. He walked over to his sword and pulled it from the tree. Zev growled, meaning to protect her.
“Should I be frightened of the animal?” he asked.
“That’s up to you. But if you so much as lay a hand on me again, I can guarantee Zev would not think twice about tearing out your throat to protect me.”
“Call him off, and I’ll put away the sword.”
She gave the mental command and the wolf backed away and darted off through the forest.
“Is this where you live?” he asked, motioning with a jerk of his head to her hut.
“Aye.”
“Well, aren’t you going to ask me in?”
“What for?” The thought both scared her and excited her at the same time.
“Never mind.” He turned to go, then stepped back toward her. “I can’t let you stay here. You need to come back with me to the castle. We had a deal.”
“I would come back with you to fulfill my promise, but you need to let me return here every night in order to regain my strength. I cannot survive locked away like a prisoner within your stone walls. I need to feel the earth beneath my feet and breathe in the essence of the forest life around me if I am to survive in your world.”
He looked down to the ground and to her feet. “Where are your shoes?” he asked. “And how did you walk all the way here from the castle barefooted?”
“I don’t need shoes. That only keeps the earth’s vibrations from running through me. You should try it sometime and you’d see what I mean.”
“Well not tonight, my little sprite. Now get what you need and let’s be on our way.”
“I don’t need anyth ing. I already have what I need now that I’ve been refreshed. And are you going to agree to my terms and let me return each night or not?”
She was afraid he was going to deny her the request. Then he slowly nodded.
“If that’s what you require, then so be it.”
She followed him to the horse and he put his arms around her waist and helped her into the saddle. Now that she was refreshed, she felt his own vibrations running through her even more than before. Her body cried out for him, and when he pulled up into the saddle behind her and wrapped his arms around her, she felt the warmth of his embrace and lay back in his arms. The fae part of her warned her not to go with him, but the human part knew that there was nowhere else she wanted to be.
Chapter 5
Wolfe woke the next morning, once again, having slept in the great hall. This time, he was lying in the rushes scattered on the floor, and next to the hearth. A mangy dog strolled over, first sniffing him and then licking his face. He pushed the damned thing away from him and sat up, brushing the stiff marsh grass out of his hair. The fire had died and the chill from the cold stones ran through his body. Damn, he missed his bed. But starting tomorrow, he’d have it all to himself.
He got to his feet, running a hand through his hair, wondering what the hell he’d been thinking to let Rae talk him into letting her leave every night. He wanted her in his bed so bad that he’d been able to think of nothing else. And though he thought he’d been showing her he was in control by not taking her the other night, now he regretted it. For now he’d now see her during the day and come nightfall he’d be hot and bothered and once again all alone.
“Lord Wolf e, sleeping in the great hall again? Is something wrong?” Sir Braden sat at the trestle table with several of Wolfe’s knights, pulling his long hair back into a queue as he spoke. There were wooden goblets on the
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