Page 5 of Tamed for Her Pleasure

I’m horrified to learn all this. No wonder Marshal is under arrest and his family on the run. “Ah, what action did you take?”

“We kidnapped her, for her own good, while she was visiting my sister in our village. Took her to the” —he adjusts his collar— “rutting cottage.”

I raise both brows.

He shrugs again. “It’s a quiet place outside the village where omegas go when they’re in heat.”

Goodness, I’m doubly scandalized by this—a rutting cottage. Just the words make me feel a little faint… and needy.

“She accepted us. We mated.” He rises and begins pacing again. “She now carries our child, and yet your father still thinks of handing her off to some alpha. I’ll go on a fucking rampage if I find any alpha has been sniffing around my woman. I need to get word to Lor.”

I wave a hand to calm him down lest he rouse himself up to a temper again. “Fine. I shall seek out your mate’s mate, this Lor.”

“Just mate,” he corrects, approaching the small, barred window. Only this time, I do not step back, and I see the vulnerability in his eyes. He cares for his mates, of that I have no doubt. “You will?”

Despite kidnapping a Hydornian woman, I believe him when he says she was congenial.

“Where is Lor now? How do I get word to him?”

“He will be coming,” he says. “At least, I pray that he is.” He swallows and swipes a hand down his face. “The last time I sawhim, he was in a bad way. I told him to run, to get help. Then Marshal’s thugs beat me down before they took me and Freya away. My clan will come if they know… if Lor got to them. He’s a tough bastard, but still…”

I feel his sorrow and his earnestness wrap around me, along with the mournful weight of fear that he might have lost one of his mates.

“I am sorry that this has happened to you, and I will do whatever I can. I know a way out of the city and shall seek out Lor and… and if by some chance he did not make it, I shall seek your clan king in his stead.”

“Why would you do this for me?” he asks, suspicion coloring his voice even as his eyes are hopeful.

“Why would I not?” I counter, already caught up in the romance of this adventure and all too willing to assist.

He nods once. “Aye.” His lips tug up. “For a fancy lass in strange clothing, it seems you are alright.”

“Princess, you need to go,” Bert calls gruffly from the end of the corridor.

“I will get word to your mates,” I promise. Turning, I race down the corridor and sneak into the alcove just in time as Wes arrives to take Bert’s place on duty.

It is late and dark now, but tomorrow, and against my father’s wishes, I shall pretend that I am going for a ride and seek out the barbarian’s mate.

Chapter Three

Alfred

On hearing that a mate has been taken, the barbarian clans have rallied. Not only the clans, but also the Blackrock and Crescent Moon shifter packs. They have come from far and wide to offer their support.

The final clans will arrive tomorrow. United, we will ride for Pershore and set this king to rights.

It is fucking freezing here, with snow carpeting the forest where we camp under the cover of the trees. But we are barbarians and hardy, and so we deal with it.

The leaders present gather in my tent, which is the only one big enough to take their numbers. Jack of the Ralston clan has brought a map of the city. It is spread out on the table where we can assess the course of action should the king not be congenial to offering up the stolen mate.

Technically, we stole the lass in question first, but that is a small matter where true love and mating are involved.

It will be a cold fucking winter if we must camp out here for long, but we are all determined.

The tent flap is suddenly thrust open, bringing a waft of frigid air.

“The centaurs are here!”

“Centaurs?” I lift my head and pin Aiden, a young warrior from my clan, with a glare. “What centaurs? What the fuck do those bastards want?”

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