Prisoners of Scythia Shifter Box Set

by Lisa Daniels

  “Should I stop, then? Do you need more time to recover?”

  I couldn’t even open my eyes as his hand slipped between my thighs and stroked the area between them. His other hand moved under my shirt and moved over my breast. The sensation was so foreign and unexpected, I threw my head back and moaned.

  His voice was right beside my ear, “What kind of an answer is that?”

  “More, ye gods, more!”

  His mouth covered mine as he pushed me down onto the couch. My mind tried to take in all of the sensations he inspired, from the weight of his body on mine to the feel of him pulsing inside of me.

  The day faded into night before he finally started to slow down. After a few tender kisses, we fell asleep on the bed. I woke to him rubbing my back.

  “Are you trying to get me in the mood?” I murmured into my pillow.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. It was just very hard to keep my hands to myself with you right beside me.”

  “Oh, please, I’m nothing special.”

  He leaned over and kissed my shoulder. “I could not disagree more. I’ve never met anyone quite like you. I just wish I could make you understand how unique you are.”

  I squirmed a little as he gently kissed my back, the sensation both touching and sensual. “You are just trying to sweet talk me.”

  “Maybe. Is it working?”

  I laughed, “A little bit. But you will have to work harder than that.”

  His hand slipped between my stomach and the bed as he left a trail of kisses down my spine. I felt him lift me a little so that I was on my knees. Before I could say anything, he ran a hand up my spine while the other firmly kept my lower body tilted up. A part of me thought it should feel awkward with my entire body bare before him, but whatever he was doing with his hands, my body was reacting. And I did not want him to stop.

  His hand moved back down my spine and onto my hip. Without any warning, I felt him begin to press into me. It had never occurred to me that there was any other position. Shocked, I let out a gasp, which soon dissolved into panting as he moved into me a little more with each thrust. Leland’s thrusts became more aggressive the more noise I made, until I finally buried my face in the pillow and screamed as I orgasmed.

  His body pressed against mine, and he whispered in my ear, “Please don’t hide. I want to see each of your exquisite expressions, hear each sound without any interference. I want to have all of you to myself.”

  I grabbed the sheets and tilted my hips up so that he could more easily enter me. “I want more. So much more.”

  “How much more?” he murmured into my ear as he continued to move into me with slow, rhythmic motions.

  “Until I am with child. I want all of you until you leave a part of you with me that you cannot take back.”

  “My, but you are greedy,” his voice was low and sultry as he moved his hand down my stomach and slid a finger inside of me. I let out a loud moan as I orgasmed again. “But I won’t hold you to it. You need time to get used to your new life. I’m not in a rush and I want you to have a chance to see what life is like when you are in charge of it.”

  I turned a little, my breaths heavy, and kissed him as he rested his head on my shoulder. “I love you, Leland. If you want to wait, I will experience whatever you want me to until you are satisfied that I won’t change my mind. I already know that you are what I want for the rest of my life.”

  Leland kissed my neck, his body saying everything in response to my confession.

  The Dragon Prisoner

  Prisoners of Scythia

  Book 4

  By: Lisa Daniels

  Prologue

  A Terrible Morning

  When I woke, I knew that things were going to go wrong. Mrs. Teasdon, the head cook of the palace, had taken time out of her busy schedule to find me herself—that alone boded very ill of what the day was going to be like. When she asked me to stop by the kitchens the next morning before starting my day, there was no question in my mind that nothing good could come of the request. Of course, there was no chance I would turn her down. And she knew it. She had once been instrumental in helping me find my path and overcoming what were impossible odds. In return, she had never asked for anything. Without her, I would never have become Captain of the Guards, yet my repeated attempts to repay her were always rebuffed with that friendly smile.

  Now, it looked like she was finally going to make that request, and I imagined it was something big.

  Not that she looked at it that way—she was not the kind of woman who would want to be paid back for doing what she thought was right. The thing was that Mrs. Teasdon knew that I would see it that way because that is who I am. She had once told me she would never ask me to pay her back for her help, yet here she was asking me for a favor. We both knew how I would react, and that was really all that mattered. That was also why I knew it had to be important.

  I stared at the ceiling for a moment, asking why I couldn’t be sick for just this one day. If it were to go by and I didn’t see Mrs. Teasdon, she would begin to fret over me being sick and possibly forget about whatever she wanted to ask. Instead, I found myself in the same excellent health that I always had. It was the first time that I could remember cursing what had been one of my greatest assets. While I did want to help Mrs. Teasdon in any way possible, the kinds of requests I felt she would likely make… well, after what she did for me, I knew it very likely wasn’t going to be legal.

  Swinging my legs over the bed, I quickly dressed in the familiar armor of my station and headed to the kitchen to see what could possibly make Mrs. Teasdon finally decide to ask me for help.

  My mind began to wonder, and I almost immediately felt guilty for my apprehension. Mrs. Teasdon had a large family, and she worried about them incessantly. Always had. Not that many people knew about her family—she kept her personal life very personal. I was one of the few exceptions. If she was asking me for help, it was likely that someone in her family was in trouble and she was hoping I could find some way to help, whether by looking away from a crime or putting extra attention on one. Either would require my direct involvement because I would never ask one of my men to break the laws that I had beaten into them. Sometimes those beatings were quite literal. And if she wanted help looking for someone, well, I wasn’t about to put focus on her family by sending my men around her place to attract attention. There weren’t many of my guards whom I would trust to care for that kind of situation anyway. No, if she needed my help, then that meant she must be in dire straits. Or someone in her family was.

  Trying to shuffle my schedule around in my head, I encountered Mrs. Teasdon, looking bleary-eyed and not quite ready to get to work. “Good morning, Mrs. Teasdon,” I said, a slight smile passing over my lips without me making the effort.

  “Oh my, but I must have gotten up even later than expected. Please hold on. I’m not quite ready.”

  “If you wish to tell me who in your family needs help, I can start making arrangements to—”

  The older woman’s brow creased, “Member of my family? What do you mean?”

  I stared at her for a moment, baffled by her lack of understanding. “You asked me to see you this morning in the kitchens. I assumed you needed my help with—”

  She laughed and waved a hand, “Oh, my dear Falmen.” Giving my arm a pat, she shook her head. “You must have been so worried for me. Don’t you be concerned about that; my family is quite fine. As messy as their lives may be, none of them are in need of saving. No, no, it is nothing so dire.”

  I felt myself relax a little. “Then how can I be of assistance?”

  “I actually wanted to ask you to take on one of my staff for a little while. Just while I get a few things straightened out.”

  This took me a couple of moments to process. This was hardly a favor that would warrant her hunting me down the day before. Certain there must be something more to it, I asked for clarification. “Are you saying you just need me to take on
e of the members of the kitchen for a while? Forgive me for being a little suspicious, but that hardly seems important enough for you to seek me out yourself when you could have just sent the person to me.”

  “I can easily forgive you, Falmen,” she smiled big and batted her eyelashes at me. She got the smile she wanted from me before continuing, “I just wanted to do it with a little more privacy. You know, not make it seem like she had done anything wrong. I believe you shall find an ideal helper and very gracious assistant should you agree.”

  Taking note of the fact that Mrs. Teasdon wanted me to help a woman, I responded, “If that is your estimate of the situation, I am not one to question your opinion.” It was certainly a strange request because women were not allowed to serve in the guard. They weren’t allowed to do much of anything in the city. Having a woman would definitely be tricky for me, but it hardly seemed like the kind of thing that needed such covert behavior. Still, it was a fairly sizable request. I reasoned that was likely why she had wanted to talk to me in private, to give me time to come up with a way to make use of a woman without putting her in danger.

  She reached up and patted my cheek. “Always the same dear Falmen, no matter how important you become.” Taking a step back, the cook pulled her shawl over her round figure. “If you will, give me a little time to finish preparing for the day, and I will see you in the kitchens.”

  “Take your time, Mrs. Teasdon. I had thought it would be far more serious and have built in a bit of extra buffer before my regular activities to accommodate your request.”

  “Now you are just trying to make me feel guilty. It won’t work.” She wrinkled her nose at me.

  With a smile, I gave her a slight bow and headed toward one of the offices nearby. It was still too early to go to the main guards’ room, but I could definitely drop by one of my most problematic groups for a very unwelcome visit. It wasn’t something I did as often as I should, but I took little pleasure in dealing with the worst of my men. Without an excuse to put it off any longer, I prepared myself to deal with a different problem.

  After putting the guards on pins and needles with a bit of paranoia that I might just stop by unexpectedly again, I headed toward the kitchens feeling a little lighter. I may not have liked tormenting innocent people, but a lot of the men who joined the guard were far from innocent. Some joined because they thought it might bring them glory, and others joined because of the power they would wield. In my experience, neither of these kinds of men were right for the position. The men who looked at it just as a job were passable and usually kept out of trouble, though they certainly didn’t distinguish themselves. Passable was still better than many of the alternatives. The men who joined because it was a family occupation tended to be the easiest to work with. They knew how to take orders and could fill in the blanks if I didn’t spell something out for them. Men like my second-in-command, Jacob, were the only ones whom I could trust to get things taken care of. Unfortunately, I could count on my hands how many of those kinds of guards I had. For most guards, the only way to make them perform was to instill them with a mix of reverence and fear. I knew first-hand how effective fear could be as a motivator to do things that I never wanted to do. Fear had been the motivation the first time I had killed. It had been more than 20 years since, but I still felt guilt when the memory floated through my mind. It had made me stronger, much like a broken bone that is healed. There was now gristle around the break, making it harder to do the same damage. But it had definitely changed me in ways that I did not like. Yet I did not regret the person I was because the city was improving, or at least most crimes were declining. Only time would tell exactly what my effect would be.

  I stepped down the last few stairs to the kitchen and entered the brightly lit room.

  “Where is she, Mrs. Teasdon? Where is this ideal helper you have thrust on me? Or do I have to wait for the lout to wake up first?” We were in Mrs. Teasdon’s domain, so I acted as I would with anyone else in the palace, in case someone was around to hear us talking.

  A movement in the corner of the room caught my eye, but I stayed focused on Mrs. Teasdon. She strode over to the movement and said with her business voice, “She is right here and ready to go with you.”

  That was when I noticed her. This ideal helper was anything but ideal. One look and I knew exactly why Mrs. Teasdon was asking for my help, and just what kind of time frame she was going to need it for. The woman was absolutely stunning, and there was no doubt that if Mrs. Teasdon liked her, the rest of the staff hated her. Mrs. Teasdon certainly like a pretty face, but she would not usually stick her neck out for just anyone. The woman in front of me must also be hardworking, and that was going to make my life that much harder. Mentally I sighed, but outwardly, I responded, “Surely this is a joke.”

  Her eyes flashed, “Do I look like the kind to joke, Master Falmen?”

  Her choice of words told me everything I needed to know. It was a warning and a reminder.

  I gave a slight bow. “My apologies. One look at her, though, and it is obvious that she has never worked outside of the palace. I am not sure how she is supposed to benefit me, apart from distracting my men.”

  Mrs. Teasdon nodded, “That was exactly my first thought when I saw her, and—well, here she is, ready to work even before I arrived. Giving her to you is certainly not my first choice, but right now it is necessary. Don’t worry, once I get everything settled, I will want her back. Gods know I’m not going to live forever, and I need someone who can take over for me once the inevitable happens. I dare say it is going to be important within the next few years.”

  The words were jarring and it made me a little uncomfortable. “Are you planning on leaving us?”

  Giving a wave of her hand, Mrs. Teasdon moved over to the larder. “I don’t think that death is going to wait for my approval. If I can have a few years on my own, so much the better.”

  Hoping to persuade her not to ask this particular favor, I responded, “If she is so valuable to you, why are you sending her away?” I knew that Mrs. Teasdon worked far too much, and seeing her give up someone who clearly meant something to her was just as concerning as being responsible for the woman who would stick out like a sore thumb.

  She glared at me as she slapped some meat on the counter. “Once upon a time, I helped you, and refused to answer any questions. Consider this repayment.”

  Mrs. Teasdon was starting a very dangerous dance. She would never ask for repayment, she had said so herself many times. Yet she just confessed that was exactly what this was in front of someone who had no idea about what I owed her. That meant this was incredibly serious. Hoping that the young woman may be able to assist in basic weapons maintenance or duties, I asked her, “Do you know anything about being a guard?”

  “No, sir.” Her voice was musical, and I heard a bit of sadness. There was, of course, her accent that made it clear she was still fresh to the city, but it was the difficulty that all women had adjusting to the city that was the most telling sign. The sadness in her voice was more than enough to indicate that she had not acclimated to the way things were.

  “Do you know anything about weapons?”

  “None, sir.”

  That was one hope down. Pursing my lips I asked, “You have an accent. Are you from the north?”

  “Yes, sir. A little town called Ridenbach.”

  “I take it that means you do not know that laws of the city.” Of course, I already knew the answer, but if she could pleasantly surprise me, I wanted to find the avenue where that might be possible.

  “Not beyond the usual. Don’t steal. Don’t kill.”

  Those were all of the ideas I had. I tried to refrain from glaring at the poor woman, who was clearly scared, just like everyone else who fell under my gaze. Striving to keep my voice level, I said to Mrs. Teasdon, “I have no idea how to use her.”

  Of course, Mrs. Teasdon wasn’t going to let that stop her from pushing forward with her request. “She’s very capabl
e. Her abilities in the kitchen were limited in the early days. I have no doubt that by the end of the day you will have found a use for her.”

  I stared at the young woman, racking my brain for anything that she could do. A glance at her made it obvious that she was going to need nearly constant protection, something I did not have time to do. Ignoring the world around me, I went over a list of all of the possible roles, and none of them fit a woman who had no training in weapons or the law.

  When there was no response to her words, Mrs. Teasdon turned to me, “I know for a fact that you don’t have a runner. It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t have a uniform, she can serve the purpose very well. She’s also very competent and does not mince words. If you need someone to deliver messages, you have the perfect candidate right in front of you until you can replace the last fellow.”

  “But she is a woman. There are rules against them being in the guard, as you are well aware.” I said it almost without thinking. It would be like flaunting the fact that a woman was working with the guard, as well as making her a target for some and a distraction for nearly all of my men. How were the men going to hear the message when they didn’t have enough brains not to stare and focus on her looks? Acting as a runner was out of the question. I would pretty much have to keep her at my side all the time to protect her. That was not something I had any desire to do given my circumstances. Mrs. Teasdon probably didn’t realize just how much she was asking, and I knew that she honestly felt the woman could work as a runner.

  Mrs. Teasdon waved away my concern, ignoring the real problem we were avoiding voicing. “Then make sure everyone knows that she is just on loan for now. I do plan to take her back, so don’t go getting attached.” After this, the cook turned her back on us to close the discussion.

  With no other argument, I finally relented. Waving her to follow, I left the kitchens. Annoyed and concerned, I was almost immediately irked by the sight of a bright dress that quickly tried to hide itself. The princess was sneaking around the castle again.