Dragon Lords Books 1 - 4 Box Set: Anniversary Edition (62 page)

“
W
hat do
you think you are doing?” Olena was wide awake, her head clear as she stared accusingly at Yusef. Her tone had come out deadly hard in her uneasiness. She fought the hold on her waist and he lifted his arm to let her go. She moved away from him, trying to get away by inching to the far end of the bed.

She tried to sit up and flinched when she used her bad arm. Cradling it to her chest, her expression darkened. The soft cotton of her tight black shirt was crumpled but intact. Staring at a wrinkle, she tried to piece together what had happened. She remembered running away from him. She remembered hiding. She remembered falling. The rest was vague, part dream world, part reality—part nightmare, part sweet agony. The reality wasn’t there. She couldn’t find the right memories.

Finally, she turned to look at him. “What did you do to me?”

“Don’t look at me like that,” Yusef said, growing a little hard at the accusations. “I’ve been taking care of you.”

Her lips pressed together. “I don’t need anyone taking care of me. I can take care of myself.”

His brow rose in disbelief, as if to say,
Can you now?

The look irritated her. She didn’t like how he made her feel. Before she met him her path had been so clear. She was a pirate, saved from child slavery. She knew just how bad the universes could be. It was the one dependable fact in her life. People, in general, could not be trusted, no matter which alien race they were descended from. Yes, she had her alliances. Yes, she had her crew. She earned their loyalty and they hers. It was a bond of necessity and as real as any family she could ever know. That was her reality.

This? Him? A husband? This man was a side trip into insanity.

“I’ve done fine so far,” Olena said, her voice not nearly as confident as she would like. She clutched her arm more firmly and tried to stand.

“You’d have been dead three times already if not for me and we have not been together even a week,” Yusef yelled, clearly frustrated with her. It was the first time he’d shown such high emotions.

Olena eyed him guardedly. What he said was true. He’d saved her life. But Jack had never taught her to apologize. Had never once said those simple words to her, or even within her hearing, so she wasn’t sure how to do it.

“I…” she began. Pressing her lips together, she merely nodded her thanks to him. She knew she didn’t look pleased, or grateful, or even angry. She just looked at him, studying his face. The words wouldn’t come, so she simply asked, “Why?”

“You are my wife,” Yusef answered, as if that one sentence would explain everything.

“You don’t owe me anything. I never asked you for anything,” Olena said carefully, almost defensively.

“I know, Olena.” Standing, Yusef scratched the back of his head.

“And I don’t owe you,” she insisted, trying to convince herself more than him. Jack would be so disappointed in her. The thought caused her to stifle any tenderness she felt for Yusef. Jack had saved her. Jack had avenged her. And when he left her the crew, he had told her he loved her without ever having to say the words. It might not be perfect, but it was all she had.

Yusef nodded, turning away from her.

“So I can go?” How come the thought of freedom didn’t sound appealing?

He turned to look at her. His eyes hardened. “No, you still have your chastisement to deal with. Law is law and I won’t break it. Whether you like it or not, wife, you chose to be with me and we are forever linked because of it. If you don’t like it, you have only yourself to blame. I am through trying to save you. It’s like you said. I don’t owe you a thing.”

Olena gasped and tears threatened her eyes. His words stung, but he left her alone in the room before she could respond. She was still tired and decided to lie back down on the bed before she made a fool of herself by dropping to the floor. It was late and she was in no shape to continue fighting with him. Her stomach ached in a way she couldn’t comprehend. It was a feeling of loss, so intense that it mixed the pain of her past with the pain of the present. Even when Yusef was unhappy with her, she wanted him. But it didn’t appear as if he wanted her anymore. He was wiping his hands of her. Hadn’t Jack always told her that a man’s attentions would wane, but a loyal crew would always remain constant so long as they were well paid?

“Take what you want, Olena, take it with both hands,” Jack had said to her more times than she could remember. He’d squinted in quiet pondering, eyes wrinkling out at the edges in lines so familiar to her even now. He would give a gruff sigh, before adding, “Because no one is ever going to hand you a damned thing—including me.”

Waking up in Yusef’s arms had been the first real feeling of contentment in her life and it scared the hell out of her. That’s why she had automatically reacted in outrage. She didn’t know how else to respond. For the first time in her life, she couldn’t readily see what was in it for the other guy. Her husband was a mystery.

Y
usef shut
the door behind him, closing her away from his sight. He didn’t want to see her right now. The pain was too unbearable. He was at a loss. He didn’t know what else to do. He didn’t know how to please her, how to make her happy.

He was tired of this game of theirs. He wanted peace between them. All hope he’d felt at her drug induced softness was ripped away, leaving him bitter and very much alone. He’d wanted her from the first moment, had given part of his life to her, and she wanted nothing to do with him. She made that abundantly clear at every turn.

Then why did she choose him? She didn’t even think, just ripped off his mask and chose to be his wife—no hesitation. Was this just a game to her? Did she not understand that his whole life was now wrapped up in her? He couldn’t take it back, even if he wanted to. There would never be another woman for him. It was their way. When she broke the crystal, she broke any chance of him loving anyone but her. Even without the crystal sealing his fate, Yusef knew he would never have found anyone else. His wife was a mystery and he worried he would never solve her puzzle.

“
Y
ou have to be hungry
,” Yusef said from the door to the bedroom. It was morning and neither of them had slept all that well. Olena eyed him cautiously and in turn he showed no emotion. His face hardened.

“What? Do you need your slave to cook for you?” She wasn’t sure why she tried to provoke him to anger. He didn’t take the bait.

“You’re not a slave,” he stated. “You are a wife.”

“Same difference,” Olena mumbled. Her stomach growled attesting to her own hunger.

“Think what you wish. Your chastisement begins now. Everything you need to make breakfast with is in the kitchen. Then I need you to clean the bathroom. The mud you covered yourself in is staining the tub.”

“When exactly does this chastisement end?” She did not like the idea of cleaning. When she was little, she had made her way cleaning Jack’s ship. She had sworn she would never have to clean another thing again. It looked as if she had been wrong.

“That depends on you.” By the look on her face, he thought it would be a long, long time coming.

“What is the aim of this chastisement? To get me to say I’m sorry for injuring your manly pride?” A fake pout came to her lips. “To get me to part my legs for you, dragon, so that you may have your way?”

“An apology for drawing your husband’s blood would be a beginning,” he allowed, still not falling for her provocation. “But the purpose is for you to realize what we have, and what you will lose if you were to actually do me harm. The purpose, firebird, is to repent for doing it, to admit you were wrong, that you were scared, and that you want me as I want you.”

“I didn’t want you. That was the whole point.”

“You did want me, Olena.” His gaze took her in, glinting with golden slivers. He came closer, stalking around the bed to tower over her. His tone was low as it rolled over her in its thick burring accent. “I smelled it on you. I felt it on my hand when I touched you. I heard it in your voice as you moaned my name, begging me to take you.”

Olena shivered at the bold words. Combined with the heated fire of his dark gray eyes, her desire for him aroused itself anew. He made a show of leaning forward to breathe deeply. She reddened in embarrassment and turned her eyes icily away to stare at the wall, knowing he was sensing her body’s treachery. He let his eyes flash golden. “Your body wants me even now.”

There was no use trying to deny it so she said nothing. Her words were stuck in her tight, dry throat anyway.

“Today you cook and clean.” Yusef pulled back as if nothing had happened between them. As he made his way around the bed, he said, “I’ll keep your work light with respect to your injury. But do not think for a moment that I won’t get more demanding should you slack in your duties.”

For good measure, she narrowed her eyes in resentment.

“Hate me if you wish, firebird.” He reached the door. “But remember, you did this to yourself.”

“Don’t do me any favors, dragon,” she yelled at his departing back.

Y
usef didn’t answer
her as he went to the patio door and stepped outside. At least she wasn’t calling him supernova or knight anymore. That was something. Even defiant and hardheaded, she was so ravishing it made him hurt. Not daring to touch her, at the risk of losing his hard won control, he’d chosen to walk away.

Her eyes had danced with their usual mischief. He knew the mischief was a disguise, but he couldn’t pry past it—not yet. He didn’t have the energy to try. For now, he would ignore it and hope that time would solve their issues.

O
ver the next several days
, Olena cleaned things that didn’t need cleaning, she cooked every meal, and she did it all in silence. She also discovered that chastisement also meant she couldn’t leave the house or receive guests. Cordele stopped by once. Yusef told her that his wife was sick and sent her away. For Olena, who enjoyed an immense amount of freedom and loved the open air, the stifling prison walls of the house closed in on her until she wanted to scream. Telling herself that this was an adventure did help, at least for the first hour.

During that time Yusef was a silent warden, all but ignoring her. The only time he spoke was to give her the morning’s list of chores. Then, for the rest of the day, he pretended she wasn’t there. She wished she could dismiss him as easily. But, everywhere she looked, she saw him.

Once he received documents from a courier. They looked very official. She dusted around him trying to get peek at what they said. All she saw was his emblem of a dragon on the top, before he stood without comment. He took his work to the bedroom and shut the door. Her curiosity nearly drove her insane and she cleaned with a fury, doing more than she was told to.

It was like that every day.

More often than not, she’d stare at him, wanting him to touch her, aching for one of his tender smiles or gentle caresses. As time went on, she remembered him bathing her with tender hands and taking care of her. She recalled telling him about her past, but couldn’t be sure if she had done so. It was all so muddled it could have been a dream. He never once mentioned that he knew she was a pirate. Olena couldn’t really ask him if he knew, without giving herself away.

Pride and pride alone made her obey his terms of chastisement. She refused to let him get the better of her. It became a mission to see who would break first and Olena swore on Jack’s memory that it wouldn’t be her.

The only time she almost wavered was when Yusef had sat out on the patio, practicing his
gittern
. He’d left the patio door open. The sad music drifted softly to her on the breeze. Even though he played for himself, she pretended that it was for her. The melody made her ache in a way only music could. She didn’t go to him, instead testing out the rocking chair as she watched the door for movements of him. The curtain drifted slightly on the breeze and she would catch glimpses of the back of his head.

At night, he slept on the couch, leaving her to the bed. It was a sweet gesture—one Olena did not allow herself to read too much into. Nighttime was the hardest, when her body would fall into the warm comfort of the bed and sleep eluded her.

She imagined all the times Yusef had ever touched her in passion. His kisses, the feel of his body, it was all so very real. When she closed her eyes it was like he was right there, smiling at her in his devilishly handsome way, his eyes glistening like liquid gold. She’d wake up the next morning, drenched in sweat and aching from head to toe. The sweetness of those dreams was worse than the nightmares.

Y
usef watched
his wife from the corner of his eye, poking a spoon into the soup she was preparing. He resisted the urge to take over. She wasn’t a great cook, but he never complained.

Sighing loudly, she tilted her head to the side in obvious boredom. With a hidden smile he thought her restless nature might actually lessen her resolve before her stubborn determination did. He almost felt bad for her as she lifted a handful of diced vegetables and tossed them apathetically into the boiling contents of the pot.

Before he could stop himself, Yusef stood and walked to the kitchen. He sat on a stool to watch her, almost laughing to hear her singing to herself. She sighed in between notes, tossing another vegetable piece into her creation. Her voice wasn’t bad, but her song was a brazen ballad praising the high skies, drunkenness, and debauchery. Undoubtedly, the tune was something she had learned from her pirate father. What was his name? Jack?

“And we sail the high skies,”
plunk,
“looking for gold,”
plunk, plunk,
“looking for treasures that never,”
plunk,
“grow old. The wind in our sails, lads, the stars at our feet,”
plunk,
“as we plunder for women, thick brown, and good mead,”
ker-plunk, plunk, plunk.

Olena dusted her hands on her apron, as she watched the churning water.

“What’s thick brown?” Yusef asked when she just stared at the food, unmoving. A wave of her sadness washed over him.

Yusef closed his eyes. He felt her pain as if it was his own. She didn’t have to say it. They were joining, the bond between them growing, as real as his arm or leg. If she would only open up to him completely, she would be able to feel him the same way and the loneliness would leave her. Such was the way for his people.

Oh, but she was too stubborn.

She turned to him briefly. From her feelings, he thought she might be crying. Instead, mischief lined her eyes. He imagined the expression took much effort on her part.

“You shouldn’t eavesdrop,” she said turning back to the boiling water, keeping her tone even. “It isn’t polite.”

“I know. So what’s thick brown?”

Olena laughed softly to herself. “Beer.”

“Ah.” He’d heard her use some interesting terms in passing since he’d first met her. “Did Jack teach you that song?”

Olena stiffened before turning to look at him. Her eyes narrowed and she forced a confused look to her face, trying to pretend she didn’t know what he was talking about. “Who?”

Yusef had hoped if he gave her an opening to talk about her past, she would. He now saw that wasn’t going to be the case. “My mistake. I thought you had said your father’s name was Jack.”

“Oh, Jack.” She carelessly shrugged her shoulder. With a straight face, she lied, “He was more like an uncle. We weren’t very close. I barely knew him.”

“I see.” If he had to venture a guess, he would say that this Jack person had been her whole world before he died. A coldness filled him and he felt her pulling away behind the mask of her easy nature. The idea he was jealous of a dead pirate named Jack, because the man owned so much of his wife’s heart and loyalty, was not lost on him. Yusef doubted he had any of it.

“You’re speaking to me again.” Olena turned and grabbed two bowls, carelessly ladling the soup into them. She put one in front of him and leaned over the counter to eat. “Does this mean you give up and I am out of chastisement?”

She always does that,
Yusef thought.
Whenever the topic gets too serious, she tries to bait me into a fight. Not this time.

As if suddenly realizing she’d forgotten spoons, she turned around and grabbed a couple from a drawer.

“No.” Yusef took a hesitant bite. The soup was bland, a little undercooked, but edible. Hadn’t his wife ever learned about spices? Standing, he went to the cabinet and grabbed several spice containers. Olena watched him suspiciously.

He took the bowls, emptied them back in the pot and began seasoning.

Olena studied what he was doing. “If you don’t like my cooking, don’t eat it, but you don’t have to be rude.”

Yusef smiled and lifted the spoon. “Here, try this.”

She furrowed her brows but leaned forward to sip. The look on her face revealed that it tasted better than hers. “Fine, it’s better your way. But I never said I was a chef.”

“Why are you always so defensive? Did I say anything?” He was keenly aware of how close their bodies were. He’d almost gone insane the past several days, watching her bend over as she…by all that was sacred. Even the memory of it was agony. He didn’t dare think of it now, not with her so close.

“Why are
you
so stubborn?” she asked.

“Me?” He laughed, amazed. “You’re the one who won’t admit that you were wrong and you might actually like me just a little. That you’re attracted to me and can’t keep your hands off me no matter how hard you try.”

A
small tremble
of excitement started in Olena’s stomach and spread throughout her entire body. She tried to avert her gaze, but “That’s because I don’t like you and I’m not attracted to you. I…I think you’re ugly and…and you smell like…sweat.”

All right,
Olena thought.
So I am attracted to you, and you don’t smell like sweat, and you are the most handsome creature I have ever laid eyes on and…Ugh, curse you anyway, dragon.

Yusef smiled at her.

No. He was laughing at her.

“You are absolutely, positively the most unappealing man I have ever had the displeasure of meeting.” Olena drew closer to his mouth with each enunciated word. She frowned and pulled back. Was she flirting with him? Stiffening, she waited to see how he would respond.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, that’s so,” she confirmed. “And I know you are a dragon, but that doesn’t mean you should have the breath of one.”

“So I have bad breath, too, do I?” Taking a step closer, he leaned his face close to hers.

All right, so his breath smells like mint. Think, Olena, think. No, stop staring at his mouth. This tactic’s not working. Whatever you do, don’t let him kiss you.

“While you’re listing all my fine qualities, are there any other complaints you would like to voice?” The words were low and sultry, giving her chills.

It was hard to concentrate with him so close, especially when his dark eyes were studying her so intently. He smelled so good. She wanted to run her hands through his hair and…

“No,” she said weakly, breathless. “That’s it.”

“So I take it you are not ready to apologize?”

Lifting her chin with a bravado she did not feel, she said, “No. I have to stand by my convictions. I am not in the least attracted to you and no matter what you do, I’ll never feel anything. When you touch me, it’s like…like, oh, I don’t know, having the dentist pull a perfectly good tooth without the numbing—unpleasant, irritating, and leaves you with a big hollow spot.”

“I think it’s time to go to the second stage of your chastisement,” he concluded, clearly not buying her denouncement.

Olena wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that. “Second? Can’t we just forget about it and have soup?”

“I’m sorry.” He turned the burner on the stove off, never taking his eyes off of her. “The law is the law and no matter how distasteful you may find it…” Yusef didn’t finish.

Olena eyed the door, tempted to make a run for it. But to where? To another embarrassing accident in the forest? To another reason to have him save her life and put her in his debt?

How she longed for her crew. For a wide-open sea of stars with no planet in sight. For a good starship chase through and past the horizon. For the feeling of freedom and trails of stardust. Tears threatened and it took everything she had to hold them back. She was homesick.

“What’s the second punishment, knight?” she asked.

“Tsk, tsk.” His eyes flashed causing a wave of pleasure to warm her. His steps forced her to back away. “It isn’t punishment, firebird. It’s chastisement.”