Thorn hated himself for what he’d done, but there was no choice—and it wasn’t just because the Krine had commanded it. He had his own reasons for flooding her womb with his seed.
He just hoped his plan had worked.
“Neh’sa?” he sent, trying to communicate with her through what he hoped was a newly formed bond. “Neh’sa, can you hear me?”
“What?” She spoke aloud, sounding confused and also as though she might be crying. Damn it, Thorn hated to be the cause of her pain but his first priority had to be keeping both of them alive and getting out of there.
He pulled out of her and she moaned softly as he withdrew. Yes, she was definitely crying—Gods, he hated himself.
“Can you hear me?” he repeated patiently. “In your head? I’m trying to communicate non-verbally—so the Krine can’t hear us. Think back to me if you can.”
“I can hear you.” She sounded amazed and confused. “But how—”
“Never mind that now. First we have to get out of here.”
Thorn unbuckled the restraints that held her wrists and ankles to the four corners of the padded table. She tried to sit up but her arms and legs gave out and she ended up on her side—had he really been that rough with her?
A look at the ten finger-shaped bruises forming on her generous hips and the red, angry bite mark on her shoulder gave Thorn his answer.
Gods, I’m a shit.
“No—you’re a Dominant,” Neh’sa whispered in his head, surprising him. She could apparently overhear some of his thoughts. Thorn made a mental note to try and shield himself.
“Come on,” he said aloud and pulled her into his arms.
She struggled weakly.
“Put me down!”
Thorn frowned—he couldn’t blame her for wanting to be away from him.
“All right,” he said, setting her carefully on her feet. “But don’t get too far from me.”
“Just leave me alone.” She stepped away defiantly and he saw that there were, indeed, tears standing in her lovely dark eyes. “I don’t know what you’ve done to me—how you got into my head—but after what you just did, when I begged you not to—”
“I swear I’ll explain everything,” Thorn sent her urgently. “But we have to get out of here first. Don’t you want to go home?”
“Home?” she sent back furiously. “As if I could go back to Yonnie Six after this!”
“You can’t just—” Thorn began aloud but at that moment the huge figure of the Krine rose from his place in the shadowy alcove. He looked like a god of darkness emerging from the depths of the Seven Hells and his three eyes were watching them with unblinking intensity.
“Well done, Kindred warrior,” he growled in his deep, gravelly voice. “You nearly fucked the life out of the little Mistress.”
Thorn had to agree with the Krine’s assessment, although it made him hate himself to admit it. But he could hate himself later—right now he had to get himself and Neh’sa out of here.
“I have done my best to honor your wishes and exacted your vengeance, oh Krine,” he said, bowing his head in a formal gesture of respect. “Now I will take my female, as we agreed, and leave this place.”
“You will do no such thing,” the Krine rumbled. Moving much more quickly than any being so large should have been able to, one long gray arm snaked out and grasped Neh’sa by the shoulder. “For I find that I like seeing my justice enacted upon this Mistress.” All three of his eyes gleamed in the dim room. “I like it so much that I plan to keep her and allow various other warriors to punish her even more.”
“No!” Neh’sa struggled against his grip on her shoulder but the Krine only laughed and held on tighter.
Thorn felt the possessive Rage that all Kindred feel when their bonded mate is threatened begin to rise in him and with it, rose the fire.
This was exactly what he had been afraid of—that the Berroff ruler would renege on their deal. Still, he tried to keep his voice even and emotionless.
“That was not our agreement, oh Krine,” he said, glaring at the other male. “You agreed that if Neh’sa submitted and I dominated and penetrated her, she would be free to go.”
“I never said anything of the kind,” the Krine said. “I choose to keep the little female—you, however, are free to go. You will be escorted from the palace by my guards now.”
As he spoke two doors on opposite sides of the dungeon chamber opened and four of the huge, muscular Berroff guards entered the room.
Thorn saw Neh’sa’s eyes widen. He was attuned to her now—he could hear her heart, pounding as fast and light as though she was a small, trapped animal caught in a snare.
“Thorn?” she sent, speaking through their new bond. “Thorn, what are we going to do?”
“Don’t worry, I have a plan,” he sent back grimly. “Just submit and get ready to run when that big bastard loosens his hold on you even a little.”
“I don’t understand,” she whispered but he had no time to explain. The Berroff guards were fingering their weapons eagerly. Doubtless the Krine had promised all of them a chance to “punish” Neh’sa. Just the thought of that made Thorn so angry he could feel the sparks in his eyes turning to flames again.
Instead of trying to suppress the fire inside him, he called on it, pulling it towards the surface. His eyes began to feel burning hot.
“Goddess,” Neh’sa whispered aloud. “Thorn, your eyes—the fire…I can see it!”
“You’re going to see a lot more of it before we’re through,” Thorn told her. “Don’t worry, sweetheart—we’re bonded now.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“I’ll explain later,” Thorn told her. “I need you to trust me on this, Neh’sa—there’s no more time.”
Indeed the guards were closing in, a hungry light in their dull gray eyes.
“Stay back,” Thorn warned them. “Or I’ll burn the lot of you.”
“And what of your little Mistress here?” the Krine growled, nodding at Neh’sa. “If you burn us, you burn her too, and I do not think you will do that. You seem to care for her, despite the way she used and branded you.”
“Yes, I care for her,” Thorn said evenly. “I care deeply.”
The Krine’s craggy face darkened like a thundercloud.
“You are under her control—under her spell. You claimed to want vengeance but you lied—you are no better than my son!”
“It sounds to me like your son was in love and you fucked it up for him because you couldn’t understand it,” Thorn growled. “I’m warning you all, don’t come a step closer or you’ll be sorry.”
“It is you who will be sorry,” the lead guard snarled. “You may have bested Judoth with your flame but you cannot best us all.”
“Watch me,” Thorn growled.
Taking a deep breath, he let the fire out, allowing it to envelope his entire body in a heated, blazing rush.
* * * * *
Neh’sa watched in disbelief as he went up like a torch—before the spread of the fire from his eyes to the rest of his body had been slow, controlled. This time the big Kindred let it go completely, allowing the flames to cover every inch of him in less than a second.
She winced instinctively back from the flames, aware that all around her the Krine and his guards were doing the same. Still, they held their ground and the Krine’s hand remained heavy on her shoulder—which happened to be the one Thorn had bitten. Gods, she ached everywhere but she was almost too frightened to know it.
He’s going to go and leave me here, she thought, watching as Thorn took a step towards the nearest door. It would be the ultimate payback for the way she’d forced him to submit.
“Hell no, I’m not going to leave you, sweetheart!” he sent suddenly through their strange new link. “You’re coming with me.”
“How? You’re on fire!”
“My flames can’t hurt you—we’re bonded, which means you’re a part of me now.”
Neh’sa wasn’t sure how to feel about that. And did he actually expect her to run into the fire to be with him?
Suddenly the Krine began to laugh—deep, trollish laughter that hurt her ears.
“You claim to care for this female and yet you burst into flames. You may go yourself but you cannot take her with you—not without burning her to a crisp.” He made a motion with one hand. “So go on—go, little warrior. Go and leave your Mistress here for us to punish.”
“You son of a bitch,” Thorn growled. “Get your hands off my female now!” Lifting a palm, he shot a fireball straight at the Krine’s broad chest.
The Berroff leader gave a low gasp and stumbled back, raising both hands to beat out the flames on his chest.
For a moment, Neh’sa was free.
Thorn looked at her, his eyes flaming. He held out his arms.
“Neh’sa—come now!” he shouted.
Goddess… Neh’sa looked at him, at the burning pillar of fire he had become. Could she really rush into the flames to be with him and not be hurt?
“Trust me,” he sent urgently through their link. “You won’t be burned, I swear it! Come to me now before they grab you again!”
The Krine had batted out the flames and recovered himself. He straightened up, blood suffusing his face, his three eyes filled with rage.
“How dare you attack the Krine?” he bellowed. “Now you will pay—both of you. This little female will be the first to feel my wrath!”
He reached for Neh’sa and she ducked out of the way just in time to avoid his huge, gray, grasping hand. She gave a panicked glance around the room. The Krine was behind her and his guards were surrounding them on three sides. Thorn was in front of her, blazing like a torch. She could feel the intense heat of his flames—it was like standing too near a furnace set to full blast.
Could she do it? Could she trust him?
What if he’s lying? What if he’s wrong and his flames can hurt me? What if—
“Neh’sa, now!” he roared, holding out his arms.
Taking a deep breath, Neh’sa took a literal leap of faith. As the Krine reached for her again she thought, Goddess help me! and launched herself into the big Kindred’s arms.