If only the time would pass faster.
* * *
Lexi quietly slipped out of Raed's bedroom and shut the door behind her. He needed to sleep longer as it had been extremely late when he had finally joined her in bed. He'd also made love to her again. The man was insatiable, not that she turned out to be any better. Every time they came together the sex seemed to get hotter and hotter.
At this rate, Lexi knew it wouldn't take much on Raed's part to convince her to stay.
After a quick shower in the en-suite, Lexi dressed and decided to head for the kitchen to look for something to eat. Given the amount of calories she burned in Raed's bed during the night, she'd worked up quite an appetite. As she headed down stairs, she frowned. She examined the bruises on her back again before she'd gotten dressed.
Strangely, they seemed to be getting darker, not lighter.
She found only Brand inside the kitchen. He stood at the stove cooking fried eggs. Lexi smiled when he looked in her direction then headed for the cupboards to find a mug. A full pot of freshly brewed coffee sat on the countertop.
Lexi opened two cupboard doors before Brand silently opened one closer to him, pulled out a mug and handed it to her. She quietly thanked him, poured herself some coffee and sat at the table to wait until he had finished making his breakfast.
A few minutes later, a plate with two fried eggs and two pieces of toast was plonked down in front of her. Lexi looked up to find Brand standing next to her chair.
She shook her head. "You made this for yourself. You don't have to feed me. I was happy to wait until you were done before I got something for myself."
She tried to shove the plate over to him, but Brand only pushed it back. He then placed a fork next to the plate. "Eat. I heard your stomach growling."
Without another word, Brand returned to the stove and cracked two more eggs into the hot frying pan. Knowing Brand wouldn't take no for an answer, Lexi picked up the fork and started to eat. A short while later, Brand sat beside her at the table to eat his eggs and toast. Silence stretched between them, the only noise in the kitchen the sounds of their forks hitting against their plates.
Lexi glanced over at Brand a few times as she ate. He pretty much ignored her as he consumed his food. A bit uncomfortable with the silence, she figured she might as well at least try to start a conversation. If she ended up living here, she needed to make a concerted effort to get to know Raed's men better.
Lexi put her fork down and picked up a piece of toast. She cleared her throat.
"So, Brand, how come you're up so early? I thought you would still be in bed like the others after your late night out hunting."
Brand looked over at her and shrugged his massive shoulders. "I got enough sleep." He focused his attention back on his plate.
Okay, now what? Trying to have a conversation with Brand was like having your teeth pulled—slow and painful. "Oh. I guess you guys do pretty much whatever you want during the day."
"Uh, huh." Brand didn't even bother to look up this time.
Since he wasn't supposed to be very talkative in the first place, and she didn't know him well, Lexi couldn't tell whether he was only tolerating her or being his normal self. "I'll shut up now and let you finish your breakfast in peace."
She ate the rest of her eggs and toast. Before she could get up to put her plate in the sink, Brand clamped a large hand around her wrist.
Lexi gave him a questioning look and he met her gaze. "I think you should stay with us. Would be nice to have a woman around. Raed cares for you a great deal. I thought I would let you know how I felt before you made your decision to move in with us or not." Brand gave her wrist an affectionate squeeze before he released her.
Lexi found herself shocked speechless by the amount of words Brand had said, and by the fact he had basically told her he wanted her to move into the manor. She quickly pulled herself together. "Well, thank you, Brand. I won't lie; I was worried you guys wouldn't want me here. Your approval does help with my decision."
Brand nodded. "Good."
She stood and crossed the room to the sink. After she rinsed her plate, Lexi left it to drain and walked out of the kitchen. She had thought Brand would have been the hardest out of Raed's men to win over. Obviously she had been wrong. He may not talk much, but it didn't mean he wasn't a nice guy. One warrior down. She only had four more to win over.
* * *
Lexi quietly opened the door to Raed's bedroom and poked her head inside. He was still dead to the world. She tip-toed inside the room, retrieved her purse, then tip-toed back out. Raed sighed in his sleep as she soundlessly shut the door behind her.
She went back downstairs and headed for the front door. Left to her own devices until Raed woke up, she decided this would be the perfect time to do some of the sightseeing she had planned to do.
She had just put her hand on the door handle when a deep voice boomed.
"Where are you going?"
Lexi turned to find Brand standing right behind her. She wouldn't have even known he was there if he hadn't spoken. She smiled. "I figured since everyone else is asleep I would go see some sights."
"You should stay here. Not safe to be alone."
"No offense, Brand, but I'm a big girl. I don't need a babysitter. I'll only be gone a few hours. You can tell Raed I'm going to the cathedral then I'll be back."
"What if you run into a werewolf?"
She shook her head. "It's still morning. Raed told me they don't move around during this time of day. So I should be perfectly safe."
Lexi turned, unlocked the front door and stepped outside before Brand could try to stop her again. She knew he only thought to look out for her, but she wouldn't let herself be cooped up in the manor just because she promised to stay the rest of the week with Raed.
She got into her rental car and drove down the long drive. Once she reached the street, she headed for the city center where the Norwich Cathedral was located.
There weren't too many tourists milling around when she arrived, which pleased Lexi. She went inside and stared up at the high arched ceiling of the 11th century cathedral. She pulled her digital camera out of her purse and started to take some pictures. Before she had left for England, her dad had made her promise she would take a lot of photos.
Lexi wandered around, admiring the architecture. She found it hard to believe Raed had been there to watch the large cathedral being built. He would have already been four hundred years old by then. Just the thought blew her mind.
She headed back outside and toured around the cathedral's grounds. The day had turned out to be sunny and warm, the perfect English summer day. Lexi had to admit she didn't miss the hundred degree weather Florida got during this time of year.
In some ways, being in England almost felt like coming home, as if a part of her deep down inside knew this was where her roots were.
She sat on a bench and gazed up at the cathedral. England's history was so much older than the States, and here she was sleeping with a man who was part of Britain's ancient past. She shook her head. When she first started to plan her vacation to England, never in a million years would she have expected to fall for a thousand year old immortal werewolf, who used to be an ancient King.
Could she stay permanently with Raed? Give up her home, her job, in Florida and live happily ever after with him? The idea wasn't as scary as she had first thought.
She had a feeling she'd started to fall head over heels for him. Yes, she would miss her parents terribly, but her living here didn't mean she couldn't go home to visit them from time to time. Raed hadn't asked her to give up her family. He just wanted her to give their blossoming relationship a chance.
Lexi sighed. This would be a hard decision to make, but if she wanted to make the right one, she would have to learn more about the man Raed used to be. For a start, his fake burial at Sutton Hoo, as it marked the end of his old life. She could find some of the information in the book she had bought for her father.
All she needed to do was make a quick stop back at the flat before she returned to the manor.
She took a few more pictures of the cathedral's exterior then headed for her car.
Chapter Ten
Lexi ran up the stairs to the flat and let herself in. She shut the door behind her and went to the living room to collect the book. When her gaze landed on the telephone, she thought of calling her parents to tell them she wouldn't be at the flat if they called, but then she realized what time it was in Florida. It still would be way too early in the morning. Her parents were morning people, but even they wouldn't be up yet.
As she picked up the book, a knock came on the flat's door. Lexi crossed the room and opened it. A man, almost as large as Brand, stood in the small hallway. "Yes?
Can I help you?"
A wicked-looking grin spread across the man's face. "Indeed you can."
He made a lunge for her. Lexi jumped back as she tried to slam the door in his face. He easily blocked her effort. Using the only weapon she had in hand, she threw the heavy hardcover book at his head and made a run for the bedroom. He batted the tome away as if it weighed nothing. A deep growl issued from his throat as he crossed the room in and grabbed her by the back of her shirt. He picked her up until her feet left the floor and gave her a few hard shakes. Lexi's heart thundered with fear as he snarled in her face. It didn't take much guessing to realize the man had to be a werewolf. His next words proved her correct.
"My pack leader is going to be very happy to see you. When he sent me to watch the warriors' manor to see if you ever left by yourself, I didn't think I would be lucky so soon. Nathan will be very pleased you didn't keep him waiting."
Lexi tried to kick him in the shins, but he easily side-stepped her feeble attempts to hurt him. He set her back on her feet and manacled a large hand around her upper arm. She dug in her heels as he started to pull her toward the flat's door. All she achieved was him dragging her behind him.
She smacked at his arm. "Let me go or I'll scream."
He stopped and put his nose to hers. "Do and I'll show just how strong a werewolf can be. A few deep scratches on your face should teach you to keep your mouth shut when you're told."
Lexi didn't doubt he would go through with his threat. Unable to get free, she could do nothing as he dragged her out of the flat and down to the street below. The street was empty with no one around to respond to her pleas for help as he pulled her behind the building and shoved her into the driver's side of a beat-up sedan before he followed her in. She crawled onto the passenger side and made a grab for the door handle, but he painfully took hold of her other wrist.
He cast her an evil grin and started the car. "There will be no escape for you."
She watched his other hand pull back just before his fist slammed into her jaw.
As she slumped in the passenger seat, her world went black.
* * *
Raed woke to find the spot next to him on the bed empty. Figuring Lexi had to be somewhere downstairs, he took his time in the shower. After he pulled on a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, he headed down to look for her.
He found Algar, Dolf, Garrick and Wulfric eating in the kitchen. No sign of Lexi.
"Have you guys seen Lexi this morning?"
Wulfric shook his head. "Nope, but I haven't been up for very long. Brand probably has. He's already been up for a while and eaten."
Raed looked at the others; they shook their heads, indicating they hadn't seen her either. "Thanks."
He headed for the living room where he could hear the television. Brand sat on a couch, remote in hand, flipping through the channels. He turned his head to Raed and said, "If you're looking for Lexi, she went out."
"What do you mean, she went out?"
"She said she wanted to do some sightseeing."
"Didn't you try to stop her?"
"Yes, but she didn't listen. You never said she wasn't allowed out on her own."
Raed sighed. It was true. He hadn't told his men to make sure Lexi didn't go out by herself, but that didn't stop the sense of unease shooting through him at the mention of her out sightseeing. "Did she at least say where she would be?"
"She went to the cathedral."
Raed left Brand and headed upstairs to grab his car keys. He only took the time to tell the others where he would be before he went outside to the garage. As he drove toward the cathedral, he hoped Lexi would still be there and not off somewhere else. He couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong.
He arrived at the cathedral, parked his car and started to look for Lexi. He did a thorough search inside the building without finding any sign of her, though he could detect her scent. He then went and did a systematic search of the grounds outside. Still no sign of her. There weren't many tourists around for Lexi to become lost in the crowd so he hadn't missed seeing her.
His sense of unease increasing by the minute, Raed got back in his car and headed for the only other place Lexi could most likely be—her flat.
As soon as he stepped into the stairway leading up to the door, Raed picked up the fairly fresh scent of a werewolf. Nerves jangling, he burst into the flat through the still-open door, instantly realizing something had to be wrong. Not only did the door stand wide open, but he saw a book lying face down with the pages bent underneath it as if someone had thrown it.
He took a deep breath. The smell of the werewolf, mingled with Lexi's scent, hung in the air. Hers held the unmistakable tang of fear. Resisting the urge to throw back his head and howl, Raed pulled out his cell phone and dialed the manor. He agitatedly paced the floor as he waited for someone to pick up on the other end.
Dolf answered after the fourth ring.
"It's Raed. Please tell me Lexi has come back."
"I was about to call you. We have a bit of a situation. You need to haul ass and get back here. Now."
"What about Lexi?"
"She's part of the situation." Dolf paused. "Raed, she's being held by a couple of werewolves."
Raed snapped his cell phone closed and took off at a run. He felt his eyes go wolf and his claws push through his skin as he thought of Lexi in the hands of his prey. Not caring if any mortals saw him, he put on a burst of preternatural speed when he hit the street and ran to his car.
As he sped toward the manor, Raed sent up a silent prayer to Tiw that nothing would happen to Lexi before he could get to her. He couldn't lose her now. He'd just found her. The worry made his chest ache. She'd made him feel more alive than he had felt in centuries. Even though they had only known each other for such a short period of time, Raed felt as if she had always been a part of his life. She made him whole. She filled a space inside him he hadn't even known needed to be filled. He loved her. Raed blinked in surprise. He really did love Lexi. He felt like kicking himself in the ass. With her in danger, he now could admit how much she really meant to him. As he turned sharply onto the manor's long drive, Raed decided when he fixed the werewolf situation she had found herself in, he would get down on his knees, tell her he loved her, then beg her to stay with him if he had to.
He ran into the manor as he bellowed his men's names. Garrick strode into the foyer and motioned for Raed to follow him. Garrick led him to the kitchen and out the back door. The others were standing by the stand of trees at the back of the property.
As he and Garrick ran across the back garden, Raed asked, "Is Lexi hurt?"
"Other than a bruise on one side of her jaw, she looks unharmed."
Raed growled with rage. They would pay for harming the woman he loved. "Did they just show up and wait for one of us to find them?" He could now make out the two werewolves who stood on either side of Lexi as the rest of his men faced them down.
"Pretty much, the arrogant bastards. Wulfric and Brand found them when they decided to do a sweep of the grounds. Brand and the big one have been sizing each other up."
As Garrick and he drew almost even with the others, Raed could see why Brand had singled out the large
r of the two werewolves. He looked to be almost as big as Brand, and had a mean look about him. A cruel intelligence seemed to lurk behind his eyes. This was no ordinary werewolf, that only lived to maim and kill.
Raed's gaze locked with Lexi's. He could smell her fear, but she had done a remarkable job of hiding her emotions. He took a step closer, but froze in place when Lexi's eyes widened and she whimpered in pain as the smaller werewolf cruelly twisted her arm high behind her back.
"That will be far enough, Raed," the werewolf who held Lexi said.
Raed curled his upper lip and growled. He had no idea how this werewolf knew his name. "Let her go."
The werewolf shook his head. "I'm not ready to do that just yet."
"What do you want?"
"Hmm, what do I want? What I would really like is for all of you warriors to drop dead, but I know that won't happen any time soon. So for now, I'll settle for giving you a warning."
"Don't threaten me, werewolf. You won't like the consequences."
The beast chuckled and shook his head. "Such idle threats, Raed. As long as I have your woman, your mate, I hold all the power here. And since I already know you, I might as well introduce myself. I'm Nathan, the pack leader."
"Who gives a shit," Raed snarled.
"You should," Nathan said with all humor gone from his voice. "You and your men's days are numbered. Under my leadership, the werewolves sired by Fenris will reach their full potential. And once I have eliminated you, there will be nobody to stop us."
"Stop you from doing what? Turning every mortal into what you are?"
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