"Well ... now you know. I'm leaving."

Bercelak backed out of the alcove and turned to leave when Annwyl's voice stopped him.

"Wait. I ..."

He forced himself to stop and look at her.

"I wanted to say ... uh ... what you did that day ..."

Good G.o.ds, was she going to get emotional on him? Would there be tears and admissions of love and adoration? Would he be forced to comfort her?

G.o.ds help me, where the h.e.l.l is Fearghus?

She stared at him for a long bit, saying nothing and appearing as uncomfortable as he was, her gaze quickly moving around the alcove and cavern. Then she suddenly jerked-almost terrifying him-and quickly said, "I wanted to give you something!"

Disappearing into the alcove, she returned a moment later with one of the Minotaur blades. Considering the amount of blood on it, he a.s.sumed it was the one used by Annwyl to wipe out the Minotaurs' entire unit. "Here."

"What's this for?" he asked, not taking the weapon right away since he wouldn't put it past her to suddenly change her mind and take his head.

"Uh ... well, I ... I can't keep it here, now can I?"

"Why not?"

"Why not?"

Annwyl walked back into the alcove and held the blade over the babes' crib. The boy turned over and began to snore. But his sister ... she reached for it with both hands, her dark eyes wide and excited. True, she might have that reaction to anything shiny and over her crib-but Bercelak doubted it.

"Does that answer your question?"

The human queen pulled the blade away and held it out for Bercelak-and he took it.

For a warrior like him or Annwyl, this was something to keep, to treasure as proof of superior fighting skills. She could easily mount it on her wall like other weapons she'd used before, thereby keeping it out of the reach of her daughter. But, instead, she'd given it to him.

"I'll keep it ... uh ... until it's safe enough to have it around her."

"That's fine. Thank you, Bercelak," she said, quickly adding, "... for taking it."

"You're more than welcome, Annwyl."

Then with a short nod and a smile at his grandchildren, Bercelak returned to Rhiannon, the prized Minotaur sword held tightly in his hand.

Gwenvael opened the door to his room and just as quickly closed it. His hand on the handle, he looked down at Dagmar. "Why don't we go to your room? It is so much nicer."

He didn't know why he bothered trying to lie to her. She simply studied his face for one second before she dug her short nails into his hand. "Ow!" Gwenvael released the handle and Dagmar pushed the door open.

The gorgeous blond-she had a name, but he'd be d.a.m.ned if he could remember what it was-sitting naked on the bed perked up when she saw Gwenvael again, but then her lip jutted out in a pout when she caught sight of Dagmar. "Oh."

"I know this looks bad," he began, but Dagmar walked into the room and over to the blonde. She leaned down and began whispering in her ear. He tried to hear her, but his d.a.m.n human ears could be so useless sometimes!

The blonde went from being disturbed that a strange woman was so close to her and right into horrified. The problem was she was staring at Gwenvael in horror. Then she gasped, disgusted, and got off the bed. She picked up her clothes and ran out the door, easing past Gwenvael, as if afraid to touch him. He watched her tear off down the hall before walking into his room and closing the door.

"You going to tell me what you said?"

"No," Dagmar replied, diving back on the bed. "I'm not." Then she laughed, which he didn't like the sound of one bit since it was much more like a cackle.

"You know, I don't need you damaging my reputation."

"Yes, because there's such pride in being Gwenvael the Defiler."

"It's Ruiner! And that's only in the north. And those slappers had their own reputations long before I arrived. But here in the Dark Plains, I am Gwenvael the Handsome. Gwenvael the Loved. Gwenvael the Adored."

"Gwenvael the Wh.o.r.e."

"In some parts of Dark Plains, yes. Just remember, you're representing me now."

That made her cackle harder. "Oh, am I?"

"Yes. You are." He stepped farther into the room. "Which is why I brought you up here. We need to talk."

"I don't want to talk." She reached down and pulled the skirt of her gown up, raised her knees, and let her legs fall open. "All right, you. Get that mouth to work and it'd better not be for talking."

"Although I do find that strangely arousing, that's not why we're here."

She dropped her dress and sighed. "All right, what is it?"

He stared down at her and announced, "I've decided to give you the gift of making you my own by Claiming you as my mate. Isn't that wonderful?"

Dagmar pushed herself up, her palms flat on the bed. "Is that the best way you could come up with to ask me?"

"I didn't ask you."

"Yes. That's the problem."

"Why?"

"Is it too much to expect to be asked that sort of thing?"

"I'm a dragon. We don't ask; we take."

"You mean to tell me that Fearghus didn't ask Annwyl?"

"The rumor is he tied her to the bed."

"Talaith?"

"She woke up and boom, she'd been Claimed. And that's not a rumor; that's what she told me."

Dagmar narrowed her gaze then snapped her fingers. "Queen Rhiannon."

"Chains."

"No! Really?"

"Really. See? I'm the nice one. I'm trying to do it the polite way. Announcing it before tying you down." When she only stared at him, he snapped, "And why wouldn't you want to be my mate? We're perfect together."

"And we just found some naked woman on your bed, waiting for you."

"That was not my fault. Probably a gift from Fal."

"Why didn't I think of that?" She got off the bed, her hand scratching at her chest.

"That rash is getting worse."

"I know it's getting worse. I don't need you to tell me it's getting worse."

"Why are you snapping at me? I didn't give you a rash."

Still scratching, she began to pace. "I know you don't understand, but there are several reasons we should end this now."

He didn't like the sound of that. Why was she fighting this? Fighting what was so obvious to anyone with eyes? Did he need to get the woman new spectacles?

"Which are?" he tried not to snarl.

"One"-she held up her forefinger-"my father is expecting me home."

"You're right. And you were having such a good time there, too."

"It had its moments. Two," she didn't bother to raise another finger. "I have a good sixty or seventy years left, barring disease or an unpleasant fall down a flight of stairs. And I'd prefer my husband age with me."

"I'll talk to my mother about it."

"Your mother? What can she do?"

"Do we really need to argue about this now?"

"Fine. Three"-and still only that one finger-"I don't share."

"I never asked you to."

"You don't have to." She motioned to the bed with a wave of her hand. "They're laid out for you. Like treats."

"And that's my fault?"

"Yes. It is. Two hundred years of being a wh.o.r.e does not go away magically. And my life is simply too short to sit around being depressed over you. Or any man."

"Dragon."

"What?"

"I'm a dragon. I'm not a man."

"It doesn't matter. Once that c.o.c.k grows between your legs, it doesn't matter what you are; it's all over. And if you think I'll be like my pathetic sisters-in-law, living and dying by a man's c.o.c.k, you're sadly mistaken!"

She had no idea when she'd gotten so angry, but she was now. Livid, in fact. She hadn't been livid when she'd found that pathetic woman sitting on Gwenvael's bed, waiting for a male to show up and use her as a receptacle for his seed. Yet now Dagmar was blindingly livid and had no idea why.

But if she was going to be livid, she was going to enjoy it.

"So forgive me, Lord Gwenvael, if my idea of a happy life doesn't involve sitting around waiting for you. Hoping and praying that you're not off doing what seems to come so naturally to you." She walked up to him, pointed her finger in his face. "I have things to do, I'll have you know. I won't be waiting around for you or anyone. And what I sure as h.e.l.l won't accept is someone else waiting for you in my stead!"

He wrapped his hand around her fist and yanked up, forcing her onto her toes. Her forefinger was still extended and he slid his tongue around the tip. The way he did that, the rough with the gentle, drove her mad some days ... and most nights.

"Is that what you think I really want? You spread out and waiting for me? No other thought in your head other than how you can please me?"

"That's what every man wants."

"Then every man can find that. I want more." He took her entire finger into his mouth and sucked it, his tongue still playing with the tip, his eyes studying her closely.

She watched him, her stomach twisting into knots, her knees weakening. "You always want more," she told him, panting a little.

He nodded while leisurely drawing her finger from his mouth. "You're right. And so do you. Do you really think you'll be satisfied going back to the life you had? After all this? Pretending to be the good daughter while performing the role of a battle lord in secret?" His voice dropped lower, the huskiness making her nipples ache for his mouth. "Finding a husband and pretending to be a good wife, while at night you dream of me. Cream for me. Long for me. Your hands not nearly able to do what my mouth can."

"Is that all you're offering me, Defiler? Your skills in bed?"

"No." He turned her hand over and stroked his fingers across her palm and up her forearm. Even with her gown covering her skin, she still felt him as if she were completely naked. "I'm offering a partnership."

"A partnership?" she asked, making sure to sound bored. "You mean as in business?"

He sniffed in disdain, his hand still stroking her forearm but now moving up to her shoulder, her neck. "Don't insult me. Business bores me and as dragon I simply take what I want. There are caravans of gold, supplies, and jewels just waiting for me. They're no better than the blond who just ran out of here and equally as satisfying. I have my sights on much bigger prizes than that."

"And you need me for that, do you?"

"For a good game, the right partner is paramount. I can only imagine what we can do together, Beast, both our families underestimating our skills. The world our playpen."

"And if I get bored with the game?" Since after two hundred years she felt confident he wouldn't.

"That won't happen. You're addicted to it as I am. You love the challenge. Your brain turns with the possibilities the idiots of the world offer us. As I've been waiting for you, you've been waiting for me. And we both know it."

"You're awfully confident."

"So are you. And there's no shame with confidence. It's conceit and stupidity that get you killed."

"But if I don't love you-"

"Don't lie to me, Dagmar." Now both his hands were stroking her shoulders, her neck. She frowned as the rash she still had on her neck began to itch a little worse and wondered if it was rude to ask him to scratch it for her.

"Lie to anyone else if you wish. Lie to them, play with them, tell them what they want to hear. But not with me. Never with me. Never again."

She pushed his hands off. "Why?" She stepped away from him. "Because you're so b.l.o.o.d.y special?"