Captive Mail
Captive Mail
Kate Pearce
When Harlan is captured by a band of females, he has no idea what’s in store. Treated as a sexual plaything and forced to erotical y service al the women, he begins to understand what it feels like to be wanted only for his ability to breed. Then he meets Princess Inga, and realizes she’s the woman who has haunted his sexual dreams.
As the passion between them explodes, Harlan knows he has an impossible task. How can he convince a tribe of man haters that not al males are evil? Harder stil is the task of proving his heartfelt love to the princess.
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
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Captive Mail
ISBN 9781419937521
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Captive Mail Copyright © 2012 Kate Pearce
Edited by Briana St. James
Photography and cover design by Syneca Model: Angelo
Electronic book publication February 2012
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Captive Mail
Kate Pearce
Planet Valhalla, 2410
Harlan Stormhammer looked out over the beautiful purple desert of Valhal a and watched both suns start to set. Even though the dancing rainbow of colors was familiar to him, he stil enjoyed it. To the north, the mountains of Freya took on a darker, more ominous glow as the first of the suns slipped below the highest peak. As usual, he found his gaze drawn to the mountains and the mysteries they concealed.
When he dreamed, he often found himself there, climbing the treacherous peaks, his body aching, his hands and feet bleeding as he scrabbled to gain a secure hold. And there, always ahead of him, was the female, her long blonde hair tumbling down her back, her face concealed as she ran from him. The closer the royal party had gotten to the mountain region, the more frequent his dreams had become. He awoke most nights now, his hand wrapped around his swol en shaft as he shuddered to a climax.
“Harlan? Are you stil out there?”
He looked around to see his fel ow Royal server, Bron, framed in the doorway, his short, fair hair il uminated like a crown by the light from the room behind him. Like Harlan, Bron wore nothing but a white silk loincloth and thick gold rings on his biceps.
“I’m here, Bron.”
“Stil sighing over those mountains, my friend?”
The second sun disappeared behind the craggy peaks, plunging the desert val ey below into blackness, and Harlan turned to smile at Bron.
“Am I late?”
Bron shrugged. “Not real y. Seeing as King Marcus is here with the queen, I doubt our services wil be required, but we should at least be present in case we are wanted.”
Harlan fol owed Bron back into the spacious bedroom they shared. “That’s true. Sometimes the king stil likes us to make the queen ready for him.” He picked up a brush and careful y braided three narrow plaits into the front of his long black hair. “I’m ready if you are.”
Bron laughed. “Now you sound like the queen. It’s amazing how we’ve al picked up her Earth phrases. I particularly enjoy the ones she cal s the king.”
“I’m sure he quite enjoys them too, as it gives him an excuse to ‘punish’ her afterward.”
Harlan fol owed Bron down the wide staircase toward the banqueting hal . Since their return to Valhal a, a year ago, many Earth females had chosen to emigrate to their planet, so it was not unusual to see a female in the more southern parts of Valhal a now. Here, up in the north at the king’s summer palace, it was stil quite rare. Harlan doubted they would see any women apart from the queen and Thea Magnusson, the head of security for the royal family. As both women were already mated, any Valhal an male who tried to get close to them would have to go through the king and his bodyguards.
Bron opened the door into the banqueting hal and a wave of noise came out to greet them. Harlan walked toward the high table at the end of the huge room and bowed to the king and queen.
“Sire.”
King Marcus nodded and indicated a vacant space on his right.
“Bron, Harlan, come and join us. Harlan, I’m hoping you might entertain the queen and I later with your harp in our private quarters.”
“Certainly, sire.” Harlan bowed again to the queen, who blew him a kiss, and took his place on the other side of the king. Bron sat beside Sven Magnusson and his mate, Thea. For some reason, Harlan’s appetite had deserted him. Al his thoughts seemed turned inward to the magical and il usive woman in his dreams.
“Are you not hungry, Harlan?”
“I’m sorry, sire.” Harlan tried to smile. “I’m a little distracted tonight.”
“Thinking about the hunt tomorrow, aye?”
Harlan nodded. He didn’t think the king would real y be interested in his dreams and the upcoming hunt was definitely a safe topic of conversation.
“What exactly are we hunting up here, sire?”
The king laughed. “
Hildisvin
. Battle swine. Apparently they have overrun the area and the local people are eager for us to hunt them down and contain the population. They are also good to eat.”
“Like a wild boar or a pig?”
Marcus slapped him on the shoulder. “Exactly.”
“Is the queen accompanying us?”
“She isn’t. And not because I told her to stay home, but because she doesn’t agree with hunting anything.”
“Then mayhap I should stay here with her instead.”
“Bron has already offered and I want you with me. You have an uncanny sense for danger that has served me and mine wel in the past.”
“Then of course I wil go with you.” Harlan bowed his head and took a mouthful of the succulent roasted meat on his plate. After he finished chewing, he smiled at the king. “I have to agree with you, sire. This
hildisvin
is definitely good enough to warrant a hunt.”
*
Harlan strapped on his dagger and wrapped soft leather strips around his upper arms and thighs to protect his more vulnerable spots. It was barely light and the hunting party was gathered in the courtyard of the summer palace, readying itself for the long trek into the wooded foothil s of the mountain range. He checked his
wulfran’s
saddle and added a bow and arrow and two throwing spears to his list of weaponry. Apparently, the
hildisvin
had long, sharp tusks and no compunction about charging a grown man and goring him to death.
For some reason, Harlan was already anxious about the hunting expedition, but he wasn’t worried about the king’s safety. The sensation was far more personal. He’d woken with the strangest sense that his life was in danger. But in the quiet of his bed, he’d also decided that if that were his fate, he wouldn’t try to avoid it. His death might mean the king lived, and that was the most important thing of al .
“Harlan?”
He turned to find the queen at his side, her expression strained. She carried her sleeping son, his smal body relaxed against her shoulder. His eyes were closed and he looked positively angelic, which was a miracle considering his adventurous personality.
“My lady?”
She lowered her voice. “You wil take care of the king, won’t you?”
“Of course, my queen. After ensuring your wel -being, it is my primary duty.”
She sighed. “I didn’t sleep wel last night. I felt as if something terrible was going to happen.”
Silently Harlan agreed with her, but he didn’t speak his fears out loud. There was no need to unsettle his queen. “I swear I wil do everything in my power to keep him safe for you, my lady.”
She touched his shoulder. “And please take care of yourself as wel , Harlan. I’d like to see
all
my menfolk return safely.”
He bowed and she walked over to where the king was talking to Bron. Harlan tightened the straps on his
wulfran
yet again and considered the royal couple. They were so obviously in love that sometimes it made his heart ache.
He’d always believed there was a special woman out there for him somewhere, but so far he’d only seen her in his dreams. Perhaps it was time to ask the queen to release him from his bonds of service to her pleasure so that he could go out and search the planet for a female of his own.
Not a smal task in a world where men stil outnumbered women at least one hundred to one.
The king mounted his steed and everyone fol owed suit.
They made a fine sight in the awakening dawn and Harlan found himself smiling despite himself. The queen stood with Bron and Thea and watched from the steps of the palace as they streamed through the main gates. Harlan looked back for as long as he could, with the strangest sense that he would never see this place or these people again. He shook off his concerns and concentrated on fol owing Sven and the king.
*
Much later that night, he found himself pitching a tent with Sven in a large clearing in the forest. The warm air smel ed heavily of some perfumed bloom and the foliage was lush and crept close to the edge of the lake. Despite the tranquility of the scene and the roaring fire at the center of the space, Harlan felt on edge.
“Sven, do you sense that we are being watched?” Harlan asked his oldest friend.
Sven raised his head and covertly searched the dense foliage. “Aye, I do, but I have no idea where the threat is coming from, or whether it is human or animal.” He tightened one of the ropes. “We’l just have to make sure our king is secure.”
“We can do that. Do you want me to take out a scouting party and secure the area?”
“It’s too late now. We don’t know the terrain and we have to assume that whatever is out there does. We’d just be setting ourselves up for an ambush.”
“True,” Harlan sighed. “Yet, I hate sitting here like this.
Have you spoken to the guides?”
“Aye,” Sven scowled at him. “They muttered some nonsense about spirits of the mountain and refused to come out of their tent until it is light.”
Harlan let his gaze drift around the clearing again.
“Mayhap I should mention it to the king.”
“I would. He hates not to be informed. Perhaps he’l abandon this hunt and we can get back to the palace.”