In Flames, Destined Series Volume 1

by Elissa Daye

  Aiden clamped his teeth together wildly and bucked against her one last time. When he was finished he rolled off of her and turned away. Lysandra struggled to catch her breath, but the swarming emotions he had driven into her were making it difficult to think. It felt as if Aiden had unleashed his fury on her in quite a sexual way, and this moment with him had left her quite unsatisfied. She felt cheated as she lay there beside him, her heart pounding, and her woman’s peak throbbing painfully between her legs.

  Tears formed in her eyes because this was the first time since she had met him that she actually felt dirty, like a piece of property to be tossed aside at any moment and used without care or concern. She really could not understand what she had done to deserve such treatment. She cried silently next to him and let her misery drift her off to sleep, wishing she could go home to Elkliss where life had been so much happier.

  Aiden heard the quiet sobs that Lysandra could not hide. He knew he had not treated her gently this night, but the power of the moon’s light was starting its monthly pull on him. He felt the call beckoning closer. Soon, very soon, he would follow its trail into madness once again.

  Chapter 15

  Lysandra awoke when a serving woman entered the room. She was an older woman with a slight shake of pepper in the black braids she had woven around her head. Her brown eyes showed her cold and efficient nature. She shuffled over to the small table near the fire and placed a tray covered with various breakfast treats on it. Lysandra would have moved the covers away, but she realized that she was naked beneath the sheets. Last night’s interlude flashed into her mind and she gathered the sheets even closer to her body, wishing she could wash away the images that stained her mind.

  “Lord Aiden has requested that you not be disturbed today. There are clothes in the wardrobe in the room attached to this one.”

  “Thank you. How might I address you?”

  “Millie.” She barely glanced over at Lysandra as she exited the room.

  “Well, at least I know her name now.” Lysandra stood up from the bed, wrapping the sheet around her body. She had a dilemma. Did she dress so that she could eat, or eat first? It was her stomach that beat out her common sense as it rumbled loudly. She walked over to the chair and sat down to eat, tying the sheet securely around her.

  She was tearing through the biscuits and eggs when Aiden entered the room. He coughed into his hand to get her attention. “There are clothes in the other room for you. Did you not find any satisfactory?”

  “I am sure when I wish to get dressed they will be more than satisfactory.” She struggled to keep the sharp tone out of her voice, but she was still upset about her treatment last night. Aiden continued to stare at her and it made her feel quite uncomfortable. “Do you need something?”

  Aiden did not like the dismissive sound to her voice. Whether she knew it or not, no one else was allowed such a tone. He walked over to her and stood above her. He reached for her hand and pulled her up swiftly to her feet. He looked deeply into her eyes, doing his best to remember that he was trying to teach her a lesson, but he knew what treasures were wrapped beneath the material that separated them.

  Lysandra met his stare with a hint of disdain. She did not want to be manhandled this early in the morning. “Are you finished?” She struggled to turn away from him, but it only seemed to boil his blood even more.

  Aiden plucked the sheets from around her, then looked her up and down. “Stay right there.” He slid the chair away from the table and set it behind her. “Now sit.”

  Lysandra resisted his commands. She felt the same shame from the previous night creep through her skin and the fact that she stood naked before him once more did not make her feel any better. She was to be used by him yet again and she would have no part of it. She turned her head away and closed her eyes. If he wanted her to sit, he was going to have to make her.

  Aiden growled aloud. A quick rush of heat flashed in his eyes. “You will do as I tell you.”

  The warning was quite clear, but Lysandra chose to ignore it. He may have everyone else jumping at his command. She would not waste the humility. She started to walk away from him, but he grabbed her hand so forcefully that she was yanked backwards. He shoved her into the chair and stood angrily over her, so angry that she instantly regretted her obstinacy. She sat there staring up at his wild expression. She lowered her head so that he would not see the fear in her eyes. He had not hurt her before, but her experience with him was limited.

  Aiden regretted the fear showing on her face, but she would have to understand that there were rules for behavior inside Blackwolf. She would have to follow any direction he had given her whether she wanted to or not. A direct refusal in front of his clan could be very dangerous for her. Ignoring the guilt inside him was not difficult, for the desire that started to pull between his legs was distracting his thoughts.

  Aiden’s eyes burned holes in her skin as he took in the sight of her in the light of day. The shutters had been opened this morning and the sun was flooding across the floor, sending shadows and light in every direction.

  When he stood there for several moments without touching her she risked a glance in his direction. His eyes looked as if he could devour her one bite at a time, the same look he had given her their first night together. The breath caught in her throat as she relived every touch and taste in her mind. A hot, angry flush stained her cheeks.

  Aiden was relieved to see the fear replaced with a different emotion. There was much for her to fear here in Blackwolf. The light of the moon, the threat of attack from other clans, and the quick loathing of any outsiders, these were all things that she should fear, but Aiden did not want to be at the center of that fear. He stepped closer to her and kneeled before her. He pulled her face down to his and took her lips within his, relaxing when she melted into him.

  It was strange that Aiden could infuriate her one moment, but then turn her to clay before him. She murmured against the soft lips that melded against her. When his lips found other places to travel she ran her hands through his hair. His kisses trailed pathways of fire down her belly as he worked his way further down to places never explored by any lips. She pushed his mouth away when his tongue darted into her woman’s peak. He refused to move and the feelings swarming through her were dangerously foreign to her. He could topple her at any moment, but he chose to make her dance to the symphony his tongue composed so deliciously.

  Soon she was no longer pushing his head away, but pulling him closer to her. Her hips writhed against him, in conflict with the rest of her body trapped within the confines of the chair. She rode wave after wave of passion, finding the release she had been denied the night before. When Aiden moved away from her she whimpered her protest. His ministrations were wickedly filling, but she was so worked up that she needed so much more than he had just given her. She looked down at him in fiery confusion and he smiled secretively before her.

  “Up.” Aiden pulled her away from the chair and sat down before her. He was desperate to plant himself inside her. “Come.”

  He lowered her onto his lap and she was surprised to find his manhood had been freed from its confines. She felt it throb close to her legs and, when she captured it between them, he moaned against her. When Aiden moved her closer she felt his heat penetrate the emptiness within her. The moisture inside her made it easy to slide all the way down. When her body accommodated his full length she put her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. She raised hot, timid eyes to his.

  “So hot, so sweet.” Aiden coaxed her up and down, setting a rhythm he was sure she could follow and she did so, wanting nothing more than to find release again.

  Lysandra felt a heady freedom, for she could control the movement at any time. She slowed down her movements against him when she needed to catch her breath. She felt the tension building in him when she squeezed around him from the inside. She arched her back when he covered her nipple with his mouth. It was almost more than she could take as the air
became replete with heated moans and their bodies became slick with sweat. When Lysandra reached the end this time Aiden was right there with her. She collapsed on top of him and he held her in his protective embrace.

  “Aiden?” Her whisper was almost hard to hear above the beat of her heart.

  “Yes?”

  “Can it always be like this?”

  “This?”

  “I feel so alive, like the world turns just for us.”

  Aiden chuckled. He had never thought about it like that before. Of course, his encounters with other women had never been quite like this before. There was always passion and completion, but the feelings that raced inside of him were so much different with Lysandra. “It can be whatever we want it to be, Lysandra.”

  Lysandra eyed him cautiously. “Please don’t leave me out again.”

  Aiden cleared his throat. He had sorely used her last night and it was clear to him in the light of day, but sometimes the beast in him took over. It was hard to explain that to her without revealing the secret of Blackwolf Keep. He captured her mouth in one last kiss before helping her off his lap.

  Lysandra noticed the gamut of emotions that ran across his face. It was hard to read him, harder than anyone else she had met before, but her intuition told her that while Aiden could be crass at times, underneath it all was a good heart, albeit wild, but infinitely good. Otherwise, he would have had no problem letting Terryn purchase her like chattel. That man was evil, no denying that. When Terryn had walked closer to Lysandra that night she could tell his soul was darkened by something deadly.

  Lysandra was so deep in thought that she did not notice that Aiden had already left the room. She picked up the sheet and wrapped it securely around her. She walked to the door leading to the smaller room and was surprised to find Millie carting in hot water to pour into the tub at the center of the room. There were several other pails sitting outside the door, which a young girl was dragging inside.

  “Lord Aiden suggested that you might want a bath.”

  “Oh yes, Millie. That would be lovely.” She was so happy to see the steaming water that she could almost kiss her. She had not had a bath since her last night at Ghelli House.

  Lysandra waited until Millie and the others had left before she let the sheet slip to the ground. She put in a finger to test the warmth of the water and was pleasantly surprised to find it quite warm. She stepped into the tub and let her body ease slowly down into it. A warm sigh of contentment left her mouth as she soaked in the hot water. She turned when the door opened to find the younger girl entering with some cloths and a bar of soap.

  “I’m Layla. Lord Aiden asked me to help you with any of your personal needs. Can I help you with your bath?”

  The girl reminded her of a much younger version of her Moessa, with her blonde hair pulled back into a long braid at the base of her neck. She was the first person who did not look at her like an outsider. “I would be honored, Layla.” She sent a warm smile to the young girl and was amused by how bright the smile was that now lit up her face.

  “I’m an outsider too.”

  “Is it hard?” Lysandra was so happy to talk to someone else, anyone else at this point. She had not had a decent conversation with anyone since Lelah and look where that had landed her.

  “Being an outsider? Yes. Most of the time, actually, but there is a good reason for that.”

  “Which is?”

  “I don’t think I should say. Sometimes it’s easier for you to find out for yourself.”

  Lysandra did her best not to sound annoyed when she let out a sigh. She was hoping that Layla could give some kind of hint as to why the people of Blackwolf seemed so unfriendly. She knew the leaders of many clans often kept mistresses, so the very purpose that she served should not turn others away from her. She just could not put a finger on it.

  When Layla had finished washing her, she helped to dry her off. Then she helped her dress in a dark pink dress with long, fitted sleeves. When she opened the door to leave, she called softly to her. “Beware the light of the moon.”

  What a strange thing for someone to say. Beware the light of the moon? What kind of warning was that? She looked once more at the headboard of the bed with its intricate forest scenery. Was it a coincidence that there was a full moon carved deeply into it?

  Chapter 16

  Aiden felt the pull of the moon drawing him closer. He and his men were leaving a few days before the full moon illuminated the sky to check on the fields further away from the keep. While he did not want to leave her alone, he did not want to drag Lysandra in to the darkness that fueled him when the night sky was pillaged by the light of the round orb in it. He looked up at the keep and searched for his window where Lysandra peered out at the activities below. He did not know what he was going to tell her. It was probably easier to tell her as little as possible.

  Telling her that he was leaving had been far more difficult than he thought it would be. Her eyes had looked up at him with a gentle turbulence hidden beneath. He knew that she felt lost and alone here. He had not planned to care about what she thought or how she felt, but her sadness seemed to filter through her eyes as easily as the passion that swept through her. With the light of the moon chasing after him like his worst demon, he did not have time to help her sort out her feelings about the matter, for he would not risk her seeing his true nature. He left the room almost as briskly as he had entered. A sigh of sadness chased after him like a haunting breeze.

  Aiden climbed atop his horse and gathered the reins. The black stallion snorted anxiously at him, feeling the wildness gathering within its master. Aiden signaled to his men. “We go.”

  Lysandra looked painfully out the window, searching for the only friendly face in Blackwolf Keep, but all she saw was the light of the moon shining across the distance. When she looked closer at it, she could see that it was almost a completely round orb in the sky. Aiden had mysteriously informed her that he must be away for the next few days and then he just disappeared. One minute he was there, the next he was gone with no real explanation at all. She did not understand why he would deliver her to the steps of Blackwolf Keep to just leave her there after what seemed like brief moments in time.

  She felt like she was being fed to the wolves. What was she supposed to do while he was away? From her interactions with his people these past two days there was absolutely nothing that would help her make friends within the keep, especially since Aiden was not here to enforce his will.

  She jumped as the door was jerked open. Lady Anna walked into the room with her head held high; two men followed behind her.

  “Lady Anna.”

  Anna screwed her eyes shut and crinkled them in disgust. “You do not get to address me, you filthy, stinking whore. It’s bad enough your stench fills my nostrils. Your ungrateful little prattle gives me a headache.”

  Lysandra averted her eyes. She did not want Anna to see the loathing that had risen among the depths. If this were another time or place, Lysandra would have yanked her hair right out of her head. She dared not do this under the current circumstances. She had no rights among these people.

  “Get her out of here.” Her orders were immediately followed. “It seems our dear Lord Aiden left no orders for your care and we do not take kindly to the help taking up residence within the lord’s chambers.”

  Lysandra felt the hands of the men yank her painfully forward. She shrugged away from them, but they grasped her too tightly.

  “Is that resistance I see? Property does not have the right to refuse any orders. Ten lashes in the bailey at once.” Lady Anna shook her head and tapped her foot. “Slaves! They have such trouble remembering their manners.”

  Lysandra almost fell down the stairs of the keep. Her arms were being wrenched forward so hard she had almost lost feeling in her fingertips. She heard the taunting of the gathering crowd. She felt the angry stares, the animosity that ate at her like the acid in her stomach. She looked down to the ground, doing her
best to drown out the noise. When the fabric of her dress was torn away from her loudly she felt the cold air on her body. She was naked before the people; the beautiful pink gown was now a rag on the dirt floor of the bailey.

  She heard the rise of the whip well before she felt the first piercing sting hit her back and, while it burned fiercely, it did not break the skin. Her breath caught in her throat and a sob lounged there destructively. She would not cry out. She refused. She would not let that little harpy win. She had been through hell and back, she would live through this too. Her pain turned to anger as each lash hit her flesh.

  She heard the reactions of the people around her. Some were cheering the guards on as if this were some sort of sporting event. Lysandra also heard a few outraged cries mixed in with gentle pleas, but these were ignored by the majority of the mob gathered there.

  Hidden clouds gathered around them and, even though it was dark, their presence was announced by the flash of light that threatened the air. Another flick of the wrist, a searing sting, and a thunderous boom shook around them. As the last lash waved through the air, it missed her back completely and ran across the back of her head. Rain plummeted like watered arrows to the ground, marking the rest of the world around them. A flash of lightning flew through the air and knocked the whip out of her assailant’s hand.

  “Will ya look at that? How odd. I’d not be touching that anytime soon.” One of the guards chuckled at the man who was staring helplessly at the whip on the ground.

  “That’s enough. Take her to the cellar. We have a special place for the likes of you.”

  “Lady Anna, do you think that is what Lord Aiden would wish?” Millie interceded quietly on her behalf.