Page 20 of Tamed for Her Pleasure

Alfred

The ride back to my clan is uneventful, and the mood is buoyant. Lor, Aston, and their mate Freya are reunited. We have several carts laden with supplies and have put the Pershore king in his place.

Not only that, but I have their princess, who is soon to become my... mate.

Louie’s proposed wedding is still a sore point, but I sense matters are progressing, whether I desire them or not.

I elect to mate her as soon as possible, and whether or not the damn wedding has happened.

There’s a lot of fucking compromises going on. But I guess this is what happens when you seek to claim a foreign lass.

She rides with me despite her protests that she is a capable horsewoman. My alpha side does not like her being separated from me for more than I must, especially given I have not yet mated her. Still, I liked the little show of jealousy when she demanded that she accompany me. I want her to be possessive of me because, the gods know, I am equally possessive of her.How the fuck am I going to get through the rest of my life if she walks around in these leathers all the time? I will be thumping every man in her castle.

That is a bridge I will cross when I must. For now, the forest opens out to reveal the Baxter clan.

I feel a tightening in my chest—this will no longer be my home, although a part of my heart will always be here. It will be harder than I thought to give it up. Yet, it is also the easiest thing in the world when I cannot keep Penelope here.

I shall forever miss this place, tell myself it is not so far, and when the whelps come along, I will bring them here to ensure they do not forget their roots.

“Oh, it is so charming,” she says, surprising me with her enthusiasm for a place that must seem rough compared to the grandeur of a city.

I look at the village through new eyes, see the fine craftsmanship of the many cottages, the neat lanes between, and fields used for crops and grazing during summer. Pride settles over me. It is not a mighty city but a clan village, one that has survived wars and orc attacks. I shall miss the forest and the quietness found within its leafy facade and, more, the friends and family I have here. Likely, I shall forever compare and contrast, but I also hope to find new things to love.

The hails go up as we approach. My sister stands on the hall steps with Espen at her side. My brother’s hands are planted on his hips, and he has a broad grin as he eyes the lass in front of me.

Yet more cheers go up as the villagers hasten to greet us, welcoming Aston, Lor, and Freya home.

I pull my horse up before the hall and climb down. But before I can help Penelope, she has already dismounted. I scowl, sensing her stubborn, independent streak, which, while Iadmire, also rubs me up the wrong way when my alpha instincts only want to care for her.

My sister is already over, hugging Freya and sharing a smile with Aston and Lor.

“You brought them back, then, I see. And were successful in more ways than that,” Espen says, his approving gaze shifting from the cart to the woman standing surprisingly quietly beside me. “…And who is this?”

“This is my mate,” I say. I am getting a little ahead of myself, but she is all but a mate. “Penelope, the princess of Pershore.”

“Fuck,” Espen mutters, his gaze now rolling down the length of my woman.

I thump him on the shoulder.

“What was that for?” he mutters, grinning and knowing exactly what it was for.

“This is your brother, I presume,” Penelope says.

“Aye. Do not get any fucking ideas. If he looks at you like that again, I am going to strangle the bastard.”

“A fine mate, you have,” Espen continues, unbothered by my glare. He takes men to his furs as often as women. I’m confident that when he finally settles, it will not be with one of his brothers in the mix, but my mind is not rational at present. “The clan’s lasses will not be happy… unless you are going to take a second mate.”

“He will not take a second mate,” Penelope hisses, her eyes flashing with a fire that I have already come to love.

Espen chuckles.

My sister approaches and introduces herself to Penelope.

“Why don’t I take care of Penelope,” my sister says. “I hear you have matters to discuss with Espen.”

I see the confusion in my brother’s eyes before he stands a little straighter. With my announcement of a mate, he will knowchange is coming, but perhaps he doesn’t realize how significant the change is.

“Thank you, Etta,” I say.

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