Page 21 of Tamed for Her Pleasure

Penelope appears worryingly eager to go with my sister and waves me off when I turn to check on her.

“The clan village is stunning, and I would be delighted to look around,” she says to my sister. “When are you due?”

They fall into a conversation as they move away.

“You are leaving,” my brother says bluntly.

“Aye. Matters progressed fast.”

“Fuck,” he mutters for the second time. “I know I said none of us were going to look in, but you didn’t need to do something so rash.”

I grin and clap him on the shoulder. “The Goddess is ever mysterious. You will make a fine clan king.”

Penelope

I am utterly charmed by his village. It is the quaintest, most beautiful place I have ever seen. The people are warm and friendly. I recognize Etta as his sister straight away—an imposing woman, head and shoulders above me, sharing eyes and hair color with Alfred and their younger brother, Espen.

She is both curious and kind… and also at the late stage of pregnancy.

Her young son eyes me warily as I am shown into the hall. “You do not look like a princess,” he announces. “Is that a dagger at your waist?”

“It is,” I say. “I do not dress like this all the time. But gowns are not very practical for riding horses or for sneaking around.”

“Are you going to mate Uncle Alfred?”

His forthright questions bring a smile to my lips. “I am.” Not knowing the clan’s customs, I decide it is easier to say as much as to confuse the boy with talk of marriage.

Etta guides me deeper into the great hall, where fires blaze on either side of a long wooden table, stools to either side, and a more imposing chair at the head. Outside, it is cold with the onset of winter, but inside, it is cheery and warm, with brightly woven tapestries adorning the walls. A gaggle of women follows us in, eager to listen under the guise of bringing tea and a cake—I was not expecting tea and cake.

“I had heard you trained with the Raven Guild?” Etta asks as she pours me a tea, “Dare I consider that my brother has finally met his match?”

“I did,” I say. “My late mother worked as a spy for the High King before she met my father.”

One of the lasses who presumed to sit at the table makes a little harrumphing sound.

“If you cannot be polite to our guest, Cassandra,” Etta says. “I suggest you find somewhere else to be.”

Cassandra lifts her nose and tosses her blonde hair over her shoulder but makes no move to leave.

Etta raises a brow, clearly unimpressed.

While Alfred was busy, I casually questioned one of the young men from his clan to see if there were any women I should know about who might have had their eye on Alfred as a mate. He was young and flustered, more worried I might injure him given my brief but impressionable introduction, and only too eager to spill information. Cassandra was among the names he offered.

“My brother intends to join you in the city?” Etta asks.

“He does,” I confirm.

Cassandra gasps in open shock. “Alfred is the clan king. He cannot be moving off to another country!”

Etta chuckles at this outburst. “You’re going to have to redirect your sights on Espen. But good luck with that, for Espen is as likely to take a male as his mate as a lass and has yet to show you favor of any kind.”

My eyes bounce between the two women, and I decide I am enjoying this little discourse very much. I’m glad I insisted I come along now and meet my competition, who I can see is no competition at all.

“He was never going to be your mate,” another young woman says, who has taken a seat on the opposite side of the table. “Everyone knows Alfred preferred Lisha and me.”

“He did not prefer you,” Cassandra snips back. “Just because he let you suck his dick, does not mean he showed favor.”

My eyebrows shoot up.

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