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"I figured out a way," he said with a shrug

"Did you hurt yourself?"

"Would you care?"

"I&039;ured it out That&039;s all you need to know"

By using other wo females to satisfy hiht burned her, like acid seething on tender skin "Are you sure that cuff will keep you fro all wolfy?"

He raised a brow "It&039;s worked for the better part of a year" When she still looked doubtful, he added, "They put a House of Witches guarantee on it"

Then it would work

"Wolfy, is it? And what do you know about ured out I was yourto her "Well, let&039;s hear it"

"Basically, you&039;ll lose yourwill stop you - no cage can hold you Did I aze raked over her and his voice deepened "The fact that you&039;re going to like it"

Merely talking about row hard as steel It was a burning need within hilare, he said, "Now, I&039;m sure you want your bow back And every indication fro to let ht we&039;re aboard And also whenever there&039;s a storuise yours - "

"It won&039;t happen! Does what I need or want count for nothing in your mixed-up idea of a relationship?"

"Aye, if you&039;ll ad that you needit right now I canna rest until I ease you"

"I didn&039;t ask for this! For you - "

"You ask for it every goddamned time you&039;re near me, beauty" He closed in on her, until their bodies were only inches apart "Doona ever doubt that"

She gazed up at hi

"Do you knohat it&039;s been like to scent your desire forit so badly, and then you lash out at ot a year of it pent up inside ainst her neck, he murmured, "Or what it was like to find my female after soinside her?" At her ear, he said, "I canna count howI&039;d sunk into your tre body In my mind, I&039;ve claimed you a thousand times And from your expression, lass, I aether"

"No!" she cried, even as she stared at his lips andtoward hiainst her red shirt "Let o!"

"Da his fist at the exterior wall, punching a hole straight through "What do you want from me? Tell me why your words never row afraid?" He exhaled, regretting his show of te me crazed"

She backed away "I can&039;t Because you wouldn&039;t understand"

- Soothe her Be gentle She knows fear -

Lucia looked woebegone and fragile And ashim not only to claim her, but also to please her

When she dropped her head into her hands, his brows drew together "Coer under her chin, lifting her face "Vow to the Lore that you never want to see o," he said "That&039;s all you have to do to end this running" What a gamble

What a lie

Chapter 25

Say it! Lucia&039;s lips parted to answer, to tell MacRieve that she wanted hione from her life, never to return To tell him she didn&039;t desire hi he accused her of was true He touched her and judgone so easily she knew she never had a chance of denying them anyway

Dalanced away, he said softly, "Face it, lass Respect ht"

"I&039;ll fight you"

"Ah, we both know you&039;ll melt for me One kiss and you&039;re mine"

He leaned down to kiss her ear Not the ears Her nipples budded even harder Even as she wanted to arch her back to rub theainst his chest, she murmured, "Impossible"

Before she could protest, he&039;d lifted her in his ar the balcony doors closed, he carried her to the bed

"I can&039;t do this! I won&039;t do this"

Once he set her down, she scra her knees to her chest "I won&039;t let you ers through his hair "You wantthat&039;s true - "

"It&039;s true"

" - I can&039;t Not now"

"It&039;s no&039; your time of the month I know that"

"Ew" Valkyrie didn&039;t have periods "You&039;re the only one here with a monthly cycle, olf"

He scowled "Then what?"

"Have you ever heard of the Skathians?"

He thought for a moment "Aye Man haters Like the Amazons but crueler And with arrows"

She raised her brows at that "I happen to worship the great huntress Skathi" Worship, but sometimes I hate her

"You? Nay, you canna The Skathians were froo"

"I&039;m over a thousand years old," she said "Skathi is the one who gave me my bow" And s to "I&039;m chaste in her name"

Oh, bluidy hell, no "You canna be serious"

"I am I made vows, MacRieve My reasons are my own, but I will never take a ion to ? "I never heard this about you"

She glanced away, and her hair fell over the side of her face "Besides you, only Regin and Nïx know"

"Why would you do this? A life without sex?" His tone was astonished - he could barely coain, my reasons are my own But it is done"

"And can easily be undone"

"MacRieve!"

"Never take a in?" Garreth had suspected so, and didn&039;t kno he felt about that Once he introduced her to sex, would Lucia be te into his palht

"I wasn&039;t born into that order," she said, with a shadow of sonizable emotion in her eyes

Cryptic words? So she wasn&039;t untouched Now he had to wonder how many lovers she&039;d had "When did you join?"

"What does that matter?" she cried

"There are no ways around this vow of yours?"

"Skathians are chaste Period We&039;re expected to be pure"

"Do you believe that rot? That you have to be chaste or virgin to be pure?" he demanded "Or that it&039;s preferred anyway? Does that mean all mothers are impure?"

"Of course not But I believe in believing in soher purpose This ishis head, she asked, "MacRieve, what do you hold most sacred in the world?"

You "My clan"

"Iine if I forced you to forsake it for eternity You&039;d grow to hate me The same applies here" She met his eyes "I will hate you forever if I lose this part of me"

This was the reason she&039;d run? His hackles rose again The Instinct was sharp - She means what she says Coax what you can&039;t take -

But anger surged inside him He&039;d never doubted that she wanted him back, and so forfor answers The mystery had eaten at hiazed at hi arrow to blow him up

She had wanted hi him to her bed, she&039;d honored this Skathi Lucia had denied them to keep her ridiculous, useless vow of chastity Which was nearly sacrilegious in itself to a Lykae - their kind revered all things physical, like sex

A year of his life wasted He shot to his feet and paced "This hy you ran? Over sooddess?"

She gasped "I left because I have things to do around the Accession"

"What things?"

"Private things!"

"So many bluidy secrets Has anyone ever told you that you&039;re a high-ods you&039;re a coht I saw you I wished for a fee Noish I could take it back" After digging his sat-phone fro up the bowcase on the way out

Out on the deck, the rain was a coolfor calotten the worst of his ire under control, he called his brother "Lachlain, I have her"

"That&039;s excellent! Are you being patient with her?"

Hesitation, then he ad to be"

"Watch yourself, brother I will never forgive s I did to Eret "Doona make the same mistake And no&039; like Bowen either Learn froment"

Their first cousin Bowen had treated his mate, Mariketa the Awaited, even worse than Lachlain had Emma Before Bowen had accepted that Mariketa was his, he&039;d al that you&039;ve caught her?"

"Oh, aye," Garreth said, relating all that Lucia had just told hi with, "I want to throttle her"

"You&039;re no&039; really letting her go with you to stop this apocalypse?"

"Bluidy hell, no Just letting her think that until I can get more information out of her"

"Good then," Lachlain said "For now, you can start fresh with the Valkyrie You have the opportunity to no&039; fuck up with her Find the patience"

Patience? Before Garreth could correct hie off by yourself if you have to" He added in a mutter, "Gods know I did"

Garreth heard Emma sleepily say, "Lachlain, come back to bed It&039;s late" Two in the afternoon in Scotland was late for a vampire

"I&039;ll be there in a second, love"

Garreth felt a rew shamed After Lachlain&039;s torture and imprisonment at the hands of the Horde, he above allhim over the last year "Go to your queen, brother"

"Call me tomorrow," Lachlain said "We have much more to discuss Remember - she&039;ll come around if you treat her well and respect her beliefs"

Her beliefs Little hypocrite Garreth loathed vows like hers, thought them ridiculous Lykae revered food, touch, sex She didn&039;t eat, wouldn&039;t have sex, but by the gods, he&039;d set to touching her Tonight Aye, he would -

"Reet one fe up with Garreth, Lachlain returned to bed, quietly easing in beside Emma

But she was still awake "Was that Garreth?"

"Aye" He pulled her into his ar her sweet scent "He&039;s found the Archer"

"How&039;s she taking it?" She briefly peeked up, reading his expression "That good, huh?"

"It&039;s hard when one&039;s h And Bowen and Mariketa?"