Dragon Lords Books 1 - 4 Box Set: Anniversary Edition (58 page)

Y
usef set
his wife’s naked body on their bed and immediately went to the intercom to call for a medic.

Her body was limp as he dried her off and she didn’t make a sound. Yusef noticed her skin was slowly turning a subtle shade of pink. He continued his tender administrations even as he cursed at her for being too stubborn to listen to him. His stomach tight with worry, he gruffly called for the medic to enter when he heard the man’s knock.

“
Draea Anwealda
,” Tal said. He was the same medic who had taken care of her the day before. Seeing his wet patient wearing one of Yusef’s large cotton shirts, he frowned. When Yusef looked back down, he saw her skin was becoming increasingly redder.

“Tal,” Yusef acknowledged with a curt nod. He stepped back to let the man work.

“This is a stubborn one you have.” Tal shook his head. He sighed heavily, setting down his bag to delve through it. Finding the instruments he needed, he confirmed, “She went out in the sun, didn’t she?”

Yusef nodded. “She did.”

“And swimming, I see,” Tal said, taking a reading from her arm. He shook his head slightly. “I take it she met up with a
givre
?”

“Yes,” Yusef said, his brow furrowing. “She fainted from the bite.”

“It probably wasn’t the bite that did it. It was more than likely the shock of the
givre’s
mild venom combined with the medication I gave her for her allergy.” Tal injected his patient with a new medicine and then quickly drew his arms back and away. She jumped in surprise, instantly opening her eyes.

Glancing first at Yusef and then at Tal, she swung her arm at the medic’s hand holding the needle. Tal easily avoided being struck. He pulled away with a frown.

“Ow,” Olena gasped at the pain the movement caused her. She reached to her angry red back and flinched. Accusingly, she glared at Yusef. “Ugh, what’d you do to me, supernova?”

“You did it to yourself,” Tal answered with the authoritative tone of a doctor scolding a wayward patient. He took another reading from her arm and nodded to himself in satisfaction. Almost distracted, he ordered her, “This time, try to stay out of the sun for the rest of today. You should be fine by tomorrow.”

“What about those burns?” Yusef asked, nodding at her face. Every inch of her was bright red. Even her eyes had a pink tint to them.

Tal frowned and lectured, “I should let you wait it out to make sure you’ve learned your lesson, my lady, but I’ll give you a lotion to put on it. It too should be better by tomorrow. Take it easy, drink plenty of water, sleep and you should be fine.”

She looked as if she would’ve said something sarcastic in return. Then, wearily, she nodded. Yusef suspected her agreement was to get the man to stop reprimanding her.

The medic handed Yusef skin cream and eye drops. “Give her those pain pills if she will take them. I can’t give her any more injections just now until the other medicine filters out of her system.”

“Thank you,” Yusef said. When Tal had gone, he turned to his bride and shook his head. “You really should listen to me when I tell you things.”

“Could you save the lecture until a little later, knight?” She closed her eyes. “I’m kind of hurting right now and that doc just made my head swim with his yammering.”

“Are you going to take the medicine this time, or should I just leave you to suffer?” He tried not to smile at her fighting spirit. Was this woman just bent on doing herself harm? He had half a mind to tie her to the bed and keep her prisoner, just to save her from herself.

“I’ll take it,” she grumbled sheepishly.

“All right, that’s more like it,” Yusef said, glad to see he wasn’t going to have to pin her down like the night before and force medicine on her. He went to get a glass of water and the pills. When he came back, she hadn’t moved.

Yusef touched her back to help her sit up. She dutifully took what he gave her. Her skin was hot. “Let’s get this tunic off and I’ll put some of that cream on you.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, knight,” she mumbled. But she did not fight him when he lifted the shirt off her skin so she could lie against the cold sheets. A weak moan left her lips as she shut her eyes.

He slowly rubbed the cream over her burning body, careful to keep his touch light. Almost instantly the worst of the burn faded. She moaned again, but this time it sounded more like pleasure than pain.

Yusef’s body lurched in response to the soft, feminine sound. He quickly buried his passions. Now was definitely not the time.

Peeking at him through red eyelids, she said, “You’re quite the nursemaid.”

Her tone was soft and he could tell by the look on her face that those simple words were the closest she had ever come to saying thank you. He smiled at her, running his hands over her face. His palm whispered over her lips and she shivered uncontrollably.

He wanted to let his fingers linger on her skin, but he forced them to make quick work of his task. She was in no condition to receive his attentions. When her body was soothed and healing, he placed eye drops into her eyes, and covered her with the sheet.

She smiled wryly at him even as the pain pills began to work, forcing her to fall into a drug induced sleep.

Yusef stood, looking down at his wife. Her rosy face was not as bad as a moment ago. Her hair fanned around her head in damp tangles. Slowly, he shook his head and picked up his discarded tunic.

Retrieving a brush from the bathroom, he brushed her hair out for her in quick strokes, doing what he could to keep the locks from drying into knots. Then, going to the kitchen, he made himself breakfast and ate alone at his dining table.

The second day of his marriage was spent in the same way as the first, tending to an unconscious, sick wife.

T
hat evening when Olena awoke
, it was to find Yusef at the end of the bed. His feet were resting on the edge, the legs of his chair tilted back as he studied her intently.

Olena flushed. She was lying on her side. Her arm bent beneath her head, the other rested seductively over her waist, and the top sheet was pulled down around her hips to reveal her breasts and stomach.

“Don’t move,” Yusef ordered quietly. He worked his hands, but she couldn’t see what he was doing in the dim light. His voice was low and hoarse as he spoke. Something in his tone kept her from sitting up.

“What are you doing?” Olena asked. Suddenly scowling, she asked, “You’re not, ah, playing with yourself, are you, knight?”

Yusef chuckled. A stunning smile formed on his handsome, dark face, making her tingle with feminine longing. “No, wife, I would rather have you play with me.”

Olena blushed. Merely looking at his bold figure did strange things to her insides. She wasn’t sure what she would do if he were to touch her. It wasn’t like he had festival rules to stop him. Remembering how he denied her, after she practically threw herself at him, helped to cool her ardor some—but not much.

“So what are you doing then?” she asked. Her lids dipped over her eyes. She concentrated on being very still.

“I’m carving you,” he answered. Suddenly, he dropped his feet. The chair righted itself with a thud. Yusef set a small knife on his dresser. “You can move now.”

Olena sat up, pulling the sheet to hide her breasts. Her body was still sore, but didn’t hurt nearly as bad as before.

“How do you feel?” He stood.

“Ah, fine. I’ve been through worse. But I tell you if that Tal comes at me with another shot, I might lay him out good.” If the medic hadn’t been helping her for the second time, she would have beaten him senseless for daring to lecture her like a child. As it was, she was grateful her skin no longer felt as if she was being burned at the stake.

Yusef chuckled. “I would be nice to him if I were you. He’s saved your life twice.”

“Oh.” Her frown deepened, and she grumbled, “I’ll send him a card or something.”

“That won’t be necessary. Tal sent the bill around this afternoon.”

“You’re a nobleman,” she said, defensively. “I am sure you can afford it.”

Yusef’s smile faded and he watched her carefully. “What makes you think I am a nobleman?”

“The servant at the festival called you lordship, and this house.” Olena waved her hand to encompass the area.

“Ah.”

“You’re not, are you?” Olena gave a delicate shrug, causing the sheet to dip low. “Oh, well, a girl can’t have everything.”

He chuckled.

“Servants would have been fun, but I much prefer not to be noble.” It would be harder to sneak around the galaxy if her picture was published everywhere as a missing ladyship. Though, on the other hand, those credentials could gain her access to some very exclusive marks.

“What’s your name?” he asked, keeping his tone light.

Olena’s smiled widened. She was not going to tell him. She enjoyed teasing him too much.

“Well, knight, are you going to let me see me or what?” Olena demanded, holding her hand out and wiggling her fingers.

Yusef tossed the carving at her. Olena caught it with both hands. To his obvious delight, she dropped the sheet to do it. Quickly, she righted her covers, moving back to lean against the dragon headboard. She held the sheet in place with her arms.

She studied the carving in amazement. It looked exactly like her, though the edges were a little rough and unfinished, down to the way her hair curled by her temples when she let it dry naturally. It was perhaps one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. Hiding her emotions, she forced a sardonic tenor to her words, as she expressed, “Typical.”

Yusef raised a brow. Olena tossed it back at him.

“You made my breasts bigger,” she explained, acting as if she didn’t care. Inside, she shook. This game was getting too close.

Remember your scar,
she thought, trying to remind herself to be strong. Hurt flickered in his eyes before he hid the emotion. The look struck a nerve, causing her actual pain inside her chest.
Great
.
I must have hit my head when I fainted. Fine pirate I’m turning out to be.

Olena had a feeling her entire arm would be marked with cuts before this ordeal was over—especially if he kept looking at her with those liquid, shifting eyes of molten gray and gold.

He pulled open a dresser drawer and dropped the sculpture unceremoniously inside. Olena’s eyes nonchalantly followed the movement. She itched to get a hold of it. She wanted to keep it.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“Mm, starving,” Olena admitted. Without thinking, she added, “You wouldn’t happen to have any clothes I could borrow, would you?”

Yusef glanced at her bags on the floor.

“Oh, yeah, that,” Olena forced a giggle, lying easily. “The guys grabbed the wrong luggage and I’ve been stuck with those things the entire trip.”

Yusef merely nodded. She had the feeling he didn’t believe her.

Olena cleared her throat, not sure how much this dark warrior suspected. She didn’t dare mention the gun. “So, you got a shirt or something I can use?”

“Sure.” He opened another drawer, tossing her a light cotton shirt. Olena slipped it over her head. Then, crossing to her bags, she pulled the first one open and looked inside. Digging, she found her bra and underwear and slipped them on under the shirt.

Yusef watched quietly. When she turned back to him, she inquired, “Pants?”

“Sure,” he said again and, leaning over, he opened a bottom drawer.

Olena’s head angled slightly to the side, admiring his firm backside. She straightened and affected a look of perfect innocence before he turned around. He tossed her a pair of light cotton pants and she slipped them over her hips.

“If you stay out of trouble,” he said. “I’ll take you to the dressmaker and pick up some things that fit.”

“Dressmaker?” Olena wrinkled her nose in instant distaste. “No thanks, knight. I’ll stick with these. I don’t care if I never see another dress again.”

“That might not be possible. Dresses are required formal attire at the palace. If we ever go there, you’ll need a gown.”

Olena shuddered dramatically and mumbled under her breath, “I don’t care if we never go to the palace.”

“Come on, wife, you must be hungry.” Yusef led the way to the kitchen.

Y
usef spent
the evening talking with his wife about non-important things until a late hour. She still refused to tell him her name, though he had tried several times to trick her into revealing it. She didn’t seem too terribly disappointed by the idea of being married to a common man. That pleased him.

Yusef found, to his pleasure, that his wife had a quick wit, an open laugh, and a smile that curled easily on her beautiful lips. Her bold emerald eyes shone in constant mischief, even when she did nothing. It made him curious to discover everything about her, and at the same time, perfectly content to know nothing.

Seeing her yawn, Yusef urged her to bed to conserve her strength. He again spent the night alone on the couch.

T
o Olena’s dismay
, she kind of liked her husband. His dark eyes penetrated as if they saw everything and would reveal nothing. His smile was slow to come, but it was genuine. He was laid back, easily taking her jokes in stride, never taking offense at her impishness. He was polite and well mannered. He treated her like a lady.

Since she had recovered almost completely by the next morning, aside from a slight glow to her skin that wasn’t at all unappealing, he took her to the village as promised. Yusef wore one of his casual black tunics with the dragon emblem and Olena wore his baggy clothing over her thin frame. Several people stopped to stare at them. She grinned at the attention, not discouraged one bit, not even as she felt Yusef watching her reactions from the corner of his eye.

Olena thought the Qurilixian village very nice—for a barbaric planet in the middle of nowhere. Her
husband
—she giggled silently at the thought—appeared to have the biggest house on the edge of town. It was a short distance from the village, but a pleasant walk through a wide cobblestone path in the forest. Yusef didn’t touch her as they strolled, but there was an easy companionship between them, carried over from the night before.

The village spread out over a valley, close to where the marriage festival had taken place. All the tents had been dismantled and the nearby field looked barren without them.

“That is the royal palace.” Yusef pointed to a cliff side at the edge of the village.

“Where?” she asked, craning her neck to see up to the top.

Yusef laughed, “The mountain.”

“I don’t see a palace,” Olena answered skeptically. Again she eyed the mountain.

“It’s hidden inside the mountain. There, see where that man just came out of the side?”

“Yes.” It looked as if he came straight out of the rock.

“That’s the front gate. The four princes designed it to be an impenetrable fortress,” he continued. “This village is under the protection of the House of Draig.”

“Smart,” Olena mused wryly. “That way, their noble backsides are protected while all these villagers take the brunt of the enemy’s wrath.” She shook her head in distaste. “No matter where I go, royalty is all the same.”

She glanced at him and caught his frown at her words. Figuring he was perhaps a loyalist to the crown, she thought it best to change subjects. A courtyard surrounded the palace fortress, close to the surrounding valley. Olena detected men on a long practice field to the side, training for battle.

“Why do they train in human form?” She nodded in the soldiers’ direction. “Wouldn’t it make sense to shift for battle?”

“It would,” Yusef answered. “But not all the wives know of the shifting and —”

“You don’t want to scare them by a show of battling dragons,” she broke in. “Too bad. I would really like to see that. Though, judging from some of the women on the journey over, it’s a very wise you ease them into the truth. Galaxy Brides doesn’t even hint at your abilities.”

Yusef chuckled quietly to himself.

“So what do you call yourself anyway, dragon?” she asked, continuing up the path.

“Do you so easily forget, wife? I am Yusef.”

Olena rolled her eyes heavenward. “What is your shifted form called?”

He smiled. “We are Draig.”

“Named after?” she prompted, unable to help her curiosity. She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, getting a chill. She wondered if he could change for her on command. She’d really like to get another
closer
look at him in Draig.

“It means dragon. Draig is what our race is called, the name of our royalty, what we become when we shift.”

“Ah, inventive,” she teased.

“Easy to remember,” he teased back.

The village presented a charming scene of domestication. The homes were built of natural materials. Cobblestone streets had been constructed almost meticulously, as if someone actually measured each angle and distance. The people smiled at each other and waved. Olena found it very disconcerting. Her first instinct was to run, unable to shake the tiny feeling that she was about to be arrested.

“What are criminal punishments here?” Olena asked before she could stop herself.

Yusef arched a brow. “It depends on the crime. Atonement. Or, generally, people are put into the underground dungeons if the offense is bad enough.”

“So, no burning at the stake? Stoning? Racks?” They were reasonable questions considering who she was. Plans did occasionally go wrong. Though, she was beginning to suspect the only thing she could do to Yusef was run out on him. She didn’t think she had it in her to steal from him.

He stopped walking and placed a hand on her shoulder. “It is safe here, bride, there is no reason for you to worry.”

Oh, how little you know, supernova.
Olena merely smiled at him and continued walking.

The Draig wore light linen tunics during the day, minus the dragon crest and finer embroidery that was on her wedding gown. According to Yusef, they were a happy people, hardworking and honest. Olena noted her husband appeared to be well liked. Most of the villagers called out greetings to him, looking up from what they were doing as the couple walked by.

To the dressmaker’s dismay and Yusef’s obvious amusement, Olena refused to be measured for a dress. Olena picked out several cotton pants and tighter feminine shirts with built in breast support. She piled them haphazardly in her arms before changing behind a screen. When she’d finished, she tossed the borrowed clothes back at Yusef and smiled brightly.

“Now this is more like it,” she beamed, stretching her arms around. Seeing a pair of black leather boots in her size, she grinned. “I’ll take these too.”

Before Yusef could protest, not that he would have as he kept insisting she buy whatever she needed, she was pulling them on her feet. The dressmaker gathered the discarded pile of clothes and clucked her tongue at the impudent Olena in dismay. The woman began folding them and placed them carefully into a basket. She grumbled under her breath.

Olena frowned at the dressmaker in turn, grabbed the remaining pile and dumped them on top without folding. The dressmaker’s old face contorted with irritation and she began scolding Olena with a pointed, wrinkly finger. Olena, who couldn’t understand one word of it, smiled back and nodded with eyes wide with mischief.

The woman tossed up her hands and waved Olena away. Olena leaned over and kissed the old woman’s cheek. The dressmaker’s face rounded in shock and she shook her head, continuing to shoo Olena from her store. Though, this time, she was smiling as she did so.

Yusef waved a boy over and pressed a coin into his hand along with the bags. After asking him to deliver the purchases to his house, he continued with the tour of the village, stopping to speak to a few people in his language. Bright blue birds flew overhead, singing in a strange low shrill. An animal Yusef called a
ceffyl
grazed in a fenced yard. It had a fat elephant body and a single horn mounted on his head. As she watched, it hissed a long, slithering tongue in her direction.

Though villagers eyed her curiously, they did not speak directly to her. Olena didn’t take notice. Seeing a boy laughing and pointing at her to his friends, she wondered if he was maybe one of her pond-side watchers. She blew him a kiss and he nearly fell off his perch in shock. The boys ran away from her laughing, calling out words she didn’t understand.

“Ach, Yusef!” came a loud cry. “I was just on my way to see you.”

Olena jolted in surprise to see a giant of a man with two blackened eyes lumbering toward them. She remembered him vaguely from the morning after the Breeding Festival. The man had an easy smile, full of a mischief that Olena could readily relate to. Instantly, she liked him.

“Agro,” Yusef answered in the Old Star language so Olena could understand. “Meet my wife.”

“Hello, wife of Yusef.” Agro audaciously winked, showing that he too remembered her. “Have you a name of your own?”

“She’s not saying,” Yusef said, with a shrug. “Maybe you can get it out of her.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Agro said gallantly, grinning at her like a fool. “A little mystery never hurt a woman none. Don’t you dare tell him, lass, at least not for the first fifty years or so.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” She grinned, liking this beast of a man’s easygoing nature.

Yusef groaned.

“In fact, I don’t want to know it either,” Agro declared amiably. “I’ll lie awake at night thinking about it. It will be good for me.”

“Don’t let your wife hear you say that,” Yusef said, unconcerned. Everyone in the village knew that Agro was more than taken with his bride. He was a doting fool and didn’t care who saw it. But, try to tease him about the obviousness of his undying affections for her, and he’d knock your skull in.

“She’ll be happy to have me preoccupied.” Agro didn’t lose his charm for an instant.

“Why were you looking for me?” Yusef asked, turning serious. “Has anything happened?”

“No, nothing like that.” Agro latched his hands to his waist and rolled back on his feet. Eyes narrowing, he turned serious. “Word is you just got back from a hunting trip to the north last week.”

Yusef laughed, as if already knowing where this was going.

“That I did,” Yusef said, nodding.

“Catch anything?” the man asked.

“Maybe,” Yusef said, drawing out the suspense.

“Could be you want some company over at that house of yours to help you cook it?” Agro persisted.

Olena watched the friendly ritual in amusement.

Yusef scratched his chin. “I don’t know. I might have to clear it with the wife first.”

Agro turned his wide green eyes to Olena. Gazing through his bruises, he said, “My most gracious lady, would you do me the honor of telling your husband to take his—”

“Hey.” Yusef growled in mock battle. The low rumbling sound caused a small shiver to work over Olena’s spine.

“What?” Agro gave an innocent shrug.

“I already have several times,” Olena said. “The stubborn man won’t listen to me.”

Yusef threw his hands in the air, clearly not able to fight an attack on both fronts. Agro’s hearty laugh rang out over the village, drawing smiles from around them.

“You don’t need an invitation from him, Agro,” Olena said. “You just come on over and we’ll help ourselves to whatever is in the fridge.”

“Now, you’ve done it,” Yusef said with a mock frown. “This giant will eat us out of house and home.”

“Ach, off with you,” he said to Yusef, before bowing over Olena’s hand. “Tonight I’m a guest of the lady.”

“You’d better bring the wife,” Yusef said. He casually draped his arm over Olena’s shoulders and steered her away. “I might need help keeping you at bay.”

“She’d love it,” Agro announced, grinning like a fool. “She’s pregnant again, by the way.”

“Congratulations, friend,” Yusef called, leading her away. “Why don’t you bring the boys with you?”

“Will do,” Agro called, saluting gallantly as he trotted off to the practice field.

“I like him.” Olena enjoyed the feel of Yusef’s hand on her shoulders, but artfully slipped out of his embrace with the pretense of picking a yellow flower from the ground. When she stood, she kept out of his reach. Keeping her expression guarded, she took a little too much time studying the flower without seeing it.

“I could tell.” Yusef said.

“What exactly does he want you to cook?” she asked.

“Agro has a terrible fondness for roasted
baudrons
. They are only found in the north hunting grounds. I already planned on asking him over, as is our tradition after each hunting trip.”

“Did I ruin your tradition?” She flicked her finger over the top of the flower.

“No.”

“How many sons does he have anyway?”

“I think, with Cordele pregnant again, this will be twelve.” Yusef turned his steps back home. “Do you need anything else while we’re in town?”

“No, I’m fine,” she answered in distraction. “Is that normal? I mean having so many children in one family?”

Yusef grinned. “Agro has been, ah, blessed with good fortune. Although, anywhere from two to six sons is more of a normal size for our families.”

Olena was quiet.

Yusef bumped her playfully in the shoulder and asked, “Why? Do you want to try and beat him?”

Olena paled at the thought of one. She shook her head in denial. “No. I don’t want any children.”

The answer didn’t appear to be what he wanted to hear. She should have played along, pretended to be the wife he wanted, but for some reason she didn’t want to act the part.

Y
usef’s spirits
were dampened a bit by his wife’s desire not to have children. When he’d put his arm around her, it had felt natural to claim her as his. In that moment, he felt a connection stirring between them. It was not only his emotions, but the promise of what their future may be.

Now she stayed away, keeping distance between them. He pretended not to notice the withdrawal. When he looked at her, the easy companionship of the morning was gone from her guarded features.

They made the journey home in silence.