Forbidden Craving: The Nymph King / The Beautiful Ashes

She lifted her chin. “This T and A pageant sucks balls. I won’t passively stand here—and neither should you,” she shouted at the other women. “We are human beings, and we have rights. Men do not choose us, we choose our men. We say no to these nymphos and their demeaning ceremony. We demand to be returned home. Who’s with me?”

Silence.

“Who’s with me?” Broderick asked.

One female jumped up, her arm extended in the air. “Pick me! Pick me!”

“No. Me!”

Shaye’s shoulders brushed his chest as they rolled in, and several strands of silken hair snagged in his nipple ring.

“If I help you remain unchosen,” he whispered, “will you tell me your name?”

“I—maybe.” Her eyelids slitted, the length of her lashes casting spiky shadows over her cheeks. “Why would you help me?”

Why indeed. The answer should have been obvious to her. “I intend to keep you for myself.” He stated the words as baldly as possible. He needed an extreme reaction from her—something to appall his men further.

“I’m not a piece of meat, and this isn’t a buffet. You should be ashamed of yourself.” Her gaze blazed over his men. “All of you should be ashamed.”

Valerian heaved a mighty sigh. “If you won’t remain in line,” he called loudly, “I’ll be obligated to hold you in place.”

“Keep your hands to yourself! I don’t want to be touched. I’ll never want to be touched.”

Nymphs recoiled in horror.

A wave of triumph swept through him. “Broderick,” he called.

“Yes, my king.” The warrior stepped forward, excitement radiating from him.

“As second in command and leader of the elite, you are granted first choice.” Valerian loosened his hold on his captive so that her movements were more obvious.

She squirmed, her murmured curses and grunts filling the air.

Broderick grinned and approached the females, starting at the far end. Feminine twitters and purrs echoed throughout the spacious enclosure.

A new chorus erupted. “Pick me, pick me!”

“What have you done to them?” Shaye demanded.

Full disclosure. “We produce a potent pheromone all...well, most women find pleasing.”

She stiffened. “By pheromone, do you mean drug?”

“The word drug implies wrongdoing on our part. Just as humans have no control over the way they perspire, we have no control over the way we pheromone. And it doesn’t drug. It frees hidden desires.”

Broderick slowly edged his way down the line, stopping here and there to study a woman more closely—even to touch. But he didn’t ask questions, getting to know the women better, and it clearly irritated Shaye, who mumbled under her breath.

By the time he reached her, the warrior had yet to make his selection.

He reached out to touch her.

Valerian had to swallow a harsh rebuke.

She reared back, calling, “Shaye Octavia Holling. That’s my name.”

Shaye. Valerian rolled the name over his tongue, savoring its delicacy. “I like your name.”

“Thank you,” she snapped. “I got it for my birthday.”

Funny girl. “Kick him.” He breathed the command straight into her ear. “As hard as you can.”

Without hesitation, she slammed her knee between Broderick’s legs. The stunned warrior hunched over, gasping for breath; the rest of the army burst into gales of laughter.

“I’m not your chattel,” Shaye grated. “You disgust me. I hope your testicles have to be surgical removed from you intestines.”

Valerian bit back a grin. His second in command quickly selected the curviest woman in line. The pair rushed from the dining hall without a backward glance.

One down...

“Dorian.” Valerian nodded to the man often referred to as the sexiest male in Atlantis. “You’re next.”

To Shaye—would he ever get enough of her name?—he whispered, “When he approaches you, ignore him. Don’t even look at him.”

“You’re sure?” she whispered back.

Valerian had expected the process of elimination to infuriate him. Instead, he and Shaye were working together, and he loved it.

“I’m sure.”

* * *

SHAYE COULDN’T BELIEVE she stood in a line of singles, being ogled by nymphos while relying on Valerian to ensure her safety. He’d gotten her into this mess in the first place! But she could think of no other alternative. Letting one of these barbarians “claim” her and drag her away to do who knew what to her held zero appeal.

“Won’t ignoring him bring out all his caveman instincts?” she asked softly.

“Anyone else? Yes. Not him.” Valerian sounded amused. “His pride will demand immediate soothing—from someone else.”

Well. Consider him ignored.

The one named Dorian had onyx hair and irises so pure and blue they rivaled the ocean. His mouthwatering beauty was something out of a fairy tale, his features somehow even more perfect than Valerian’s....but he didn’t make her ache.

He didn’t fill her mind with X-rated images of naked, straining bodies.

As Dorian followed Broderick’s example and considered every woman in line, Shaye’s hands curled into fists.

How would these men like it if the tables were turned? If they were the ones being looked over and judged?

Who was she kidding? They would love every second of it.

There had to be a way to override the nympho pheromone and convince these women they did not sexually desire their captors.

When Dorian reached Shaye, he made sure to remain out of striking distance. He studied her, his intense gaze lingering on her every curve.

Just as before, Valerian stiffened.

She peered down at her cuticles as if she hadn’t a care.

“You intrigue me, female,” Dorian told her.

She faked a yawn. His intrigue? Probably nothing more than the pride Valerian had mentioned. Winning the one others had failed to win would come with a side of bragging rights.

“Female?”

Another yawn.

The warrior expelled a frustrated breath.

Maybe she had a cruel streak, because she liked upsetting him.

“Look at me,” Dorian commanded, reminding her of a petulant child.

She brushed an invisible piece of lint from her arm.

He tangled a hand through his hair and eyed his boss. “Valerian. A little help, if you please.”

Valerian lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “I can’t force her eyes on you unless I remove them.”

“But—”

“Is she the one you want or not?” The words lashed from him, abrupt and harsh. Filled with impatience. “Others await their turn.”

A scowl darkened Dorian’s features before he spun from Shaye and stalked to an Asian sweetie with a lily in her hair. “I choose you.”

Lily actually cheered.

“If you guys are going to select women based on their appearance,” Shaye muttered, “you should first make sure you’re Chris or Liam Hemsworth.”

A growl rose from him. “Who are these men to you?”

“Only my lovers.” In her dreams.

Just because a real man had never really tempted her, and just because she’d encased her heart in icy armor, well, that didn’t mean her mind had never fantasized and her body had never ached. She’d ached. Oh, she’d ached.

“No longer,” Valerian grated. “You’re mine.”

A new card took shape. I love watching you sleep...through the crack in your bedroom curtains.

“Are you familiar with the term stalker?” she asked.

“Stalk. Noun. The stem of a herbaceous plant. To stalk. Verb. To pursue or approach stealthily. Therefore stalker must be...one who pursues stealthily.”

Smart man. “One who pursues someone who doesn’t want to be pursued.”

A sharp inhalation. “I’m not stalking you.”

“Whatever you have to tell yourself, buddy.”

The ceremony continued for another half hour. Only one other woman appeared upset by the proceedings—the same one who’d been unwilling to blithely walk into the water.

She was a tiny thing and very pretty, with dark, curly hair, wide, dark eyes and a button nose. Of Spanish heritage, maybe. Despite her innocent, schoolgirl features, she radiated a wild sensuality that had intrigued many of the nymphos. They’d passed her over, however, because she’d trembled with fear rather than eagerness.

But pickings were becoming slim, and a tall warrior with beads in his sandy-colored hair eventually selected her. One of the men still waiting for his turn slammed his fist into the wall, the force of the blow reverberating through the entire room.

“Choose another. I want that one,” he bellowed.

“Too bad for you, Joachim,” was the smug reply. “She’s mine now.” Beaded Hair clasped the girl’s hand and tugged her from the line.

Her tremors worsened, and she dragged her heels, but she never uttered a word in protest.

Obviously puzzled by her lack of enthusiasm, her would-be lover glanced over his shoulder and frowned. “Do not be afraid, little one. I won’t hurt you.”

She chewed on her bottom lip, tears in her eyes.

“Valerian,” Shaye said, “you told me no one would be harmed. Well, she’s being harmed. Stop him.”

“Shivawn isn’t striking her, and he won’t. He’ll feed and care for her. He’ll—”

“Listen to me. She doesn’t want food, and she certainly doesn’t want to be alone with him.” Unwilling to wait for Valerian’s response, Shaye shouted, “Let her go! Now! You might have picked her, but she doesn’t pick you.”

Shivawn’s frown deepened. “But... I’ll be good to you.”

Her frightened, watery gaze landed on Shaye, and she chewed on her bottom lip. Still she didn’t speak a word.

“Valerian.” Shaye latched on to his wrist and squeezed. “You have to do something about this. Please.”

Seconds passed in absolute silence, everyone in the room waiting for the king’s decree.

Shaye wrenched away from him to rush to the girl—who she then freed from Shivawn’s grip. She stepped between the pair, her gaze searching for...she wasn’t sure.

“I know you want to go home,” she said. “I’ll find a way, I swear it.” Will never give up. “But until then, how do you want to handle this situation?”

Silence. The Spanish girl even looked away from her, as if she couldn’t bear to be the object of anyone’s scrutiny.

“Obviously she doesn’t want anything to do with you, either.” Shivawn clasped Shaye’s wrist, clearly intending to move her out of the way.

Her self-defense training kicked in, and she pivoted, grabbing hold of his wrist and dropping to the floor, her weight and momentum dragging him down with her. Upon impact, she thrust out her legs, nailing him in the chest and causing him to flip over her head.

He remained on his back, staring up at the crystal ceiling. Held immobile by shock?

Other warriors gaped.

Valerian raced to her side to pull her to her feet. He focused on the other woman. “Do you wish to be chosen by another warrior? Do you wish to be given a room of your own? I’ll ensure you are undisturbed.”

Her eyes roved over the remaining, eager men. She shrank back, gulped, then slowly shook her head.

No to Shivawn? Or no to the room? Or both?

“You may take her to your chamber, Shivawn, but you are not to touch her tonight. If one of the humans I...met...yesterday is interested in...meeting you, you may...meet her in a guest room.”

Why the hesitation? Did met, meeting and meet actually mean screwed, screwing and screw?

“Why don’t you take her home instead?” Shaye asked as Shivawn stood.

“Do you wish to go home?” Valerian asked the other woman.

Again, the girl shrank back and shook her head no.

Shaye didn’t understand. “Do you want to go with Shivawn?”

A nearly imperceptible nod, but a nod all the same.

She glared at Valerian. “Can Shivawn be trusted to obey your command?”

“All my men can be trusted to obey me. More than that, they aren’t rapists.” There was a good amount of affront in his tone. “Go,” he told the couple.

Shivawn and the girl hurried out of the room.

The man who’d hit the wall punched the guy next to him.

“Happy?” Valerian asked as he escorted Shaye back to the line.

“No!”

Of course, the “selection” continued.

This time, none of the soldiers approached her. Perhaps because she’d proved too much trouble for zero reward.

The line dwindled significantly.

“It’s almost over,” Valerian whispered. His breath fanned her ear, and he trailed a fingertip along the bumps of her spine. A caress to arouse...or a gesture of comfort?

Did it matter? Either way, she almost slumped into a boneless heap. So good! Only the sudden, unexpected feeling of being watched strengthened her resolve to appear unaffected. Her eyes darted across the remaining men—and collided with hate.

Every fiber of her being recoiled.

“Lean on me if your feet hurt,” Valerian said, mistaking her reaction.

“No, thank you.” Leaning on another—relying on another—would never appeal to her. Even though the idea of being enveloped by his heat and strength actually did appeal to her.

In her experience, the moment she softened and allowed someone in, that someone would leave her, disappoint her or betray her.

“Joachim,” Valerian called. “Your turn has arrived.”

“That one.” Joachim, as it turned out, was the man with hate in his eyes. “The pale one in your arms.”

Valerian cursed, and Shaye gasped. She’d been so sure she’d scared everyone away. Now ice chilled every inch of her.

“What did you say?” Valerian wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly, his fingers digging into her skin, probably bruising.

The shocking thing? She didn’t want him to let go.

Joachim braced his legs apart, his expression stern and smug. He wasn’t a man besotted or even consumed by lust. No, he looked ready for a fight. “Give her to me. She is mine.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

“VALERIAN,” SHAYE SAID, her voice shaky. As shaky as her limbs. “I’m unwilling. I don’t want him. If he tries to lead me away—”

“He won’t. I’ll take care of him. Worry not.” All at once, Valerian was infuriated that someone would dare try to take Shaye from him, overjoyed that she felt safest with him and frightened that he might actually lose her.

And to his cousin, no less. The man would break her beautiful spirit.

He and Joachim had never enjoyed an easy camaraderie. Through no fault of his own. Over the years, Joachim’s thirst for power had transformed him into a rebellious fool. He’d become far too wild to control.

How Valerian would change his mind, he didn’t yet know.

The only question that mattered, he supposed, was how far was he willing to go.

Easy. To the death.

“There are two other females in line. They want you. This one doesn’t.”

Joachim never once glanced at the others. “Don’t care. I’ve already chosen the pale one.”

“Well, I haven’t chosen you.” Shaye pressed her soft body more firmly against Valerian. Her frosty scent enveloped him, fueling his determination.

“Challenge me.” Valerian pinned his cousin with a hard stare. “I’ll accept.”

“And turn me into a prize?” she gasped. “No. Absolutely not.”

Valerian ignored her. He had to. He knew the way of the nymphs; she didn’t.

Joachim had issued challenges in the past. He longed to prove his strength. Valerian had always turned him down. Not because he’d feared losing. On the contrary. He’d known beyond any doubt that he would win, and his cousin would die.

Despite their acrimony, he had no desire to kill the male.

For a moment, an all-too-short flash of time, Joachim considered the offer. He even began to nod. Then he stopped himself. “Unacceptable. You had sex yesterday. You’re strong. I’ve been neglected for weeks. We aren’t on equal ground.”

A muscle jumped in Valerian’s jaw. Did his cousin hope for a night with Shaye, then a fight with the king? “I’ll bargain with you as I bargained with Shivawn. If one of the humans in my chamber desires you, you may spend the night with her and rebuild your strength. On the morrow, we will fight for Shaye.”

Shaye...who uttered another round of protests.

Joachim’s black brows arched, and something—an unreadable emotion—brightened his blue eyes. “You said you wouldn’t claim another surface woman, yet there you stand, attempting to do just that.”

“Do you accept my offer or not?”

Lips curling in a cold smile, Joachim pointed to Shaye. “I do not. I want that one. As is my right.”

“You have zero right to me.” Shaye shook a fist in his direction. “Cart me away. Go ahead. I dare you. While you sleep, I’ll cut off your balls and use them for earrings.”

Inventive. At least she’d only wanted to cut out Valerian’s eyes.

“Females are precious to us, necessary for our survival,” he told his cousin. “We do them no harm. Ever. You would have to hurt her to have her.”

Joachim swallowed. “I’ll woo her.”

So confident—for no reason!

Am I this foolish, thinking I can win the moonbeam?

“Joachim—” he began.

“No!” the male shouted. “I’ll take what’s owed to me.”

“So you’ll accept your ball-less life, then?” Shaye asked, her tone casual. “Because that is all you’re owed from me.”

Valerian admired her spirit even as frustration and fury flooded him. His cousin wouldn’t relent, and Valerian wouldn’t go back on his word.

Would he? For Shaye...

He’d taken over the army as a young lad, after his father had died in battle. Over and over again, he’d had to prove himself worthy of the honor.

Esteem your men, and they’ll esteem you. His father’s dying words.

If Valerian took Shaye, no one would naysay him—but no one would respect him, either.

And how could he expect her to fall in love with such a dishonorable man?

“I said I wouldn’t claim the female, and I won’t.” The announcement pained him. “Yet.”

Shaye closed her hands over his arms—arms still wrapped around her—and dug her fingernails into his skin to hold him in place or punish him, he wasn’t sure.

He switched to his native tongue and added, “Not without reaching amicable terms. Allow me to buy her from you.”

Once more, Joachim shook his head. “No.”

“What can I do, cousin? The woman—” he stopped, pressed his lips together “—she is my mate.”

Joachim’s grin returned, colder than before. “She doesn’t agree. She clearly hasn’t accepted you as such.”

“She will.” Believing otherwise would destroy him. “If you take her, she’ll hate you.” They both knew the ways of nymphs and their mates. The bond was inescapable. “You might seduce her, but you’ll never win her. She’ll wish she were with me. Can your pride withstand such a horror?”

His cousin clenched and unclenched his fists.

“What did you say to him?” Shaye looked between them. “Tell me.”

Joachim’s gaze remained narrowed on Valerian. “I must think on what you’ve said. Let us both stay away from her this night and discuss her ownership in the morning.”

Since he’d spoken in the surface language, Shaye understood. “Ownership?” she said between gritted teeth.

Stay away from her for an entire night? Valerian’s body recoiled in horror. Need her in my arms, now and always!

No other way. “I’m in...agreement.”

“Well, I’m not in agreement.” Shaye stomped her foot, determined to be acknowledged. “Let me save you both a lot of trouble. I don’t want either of you. Now, I’m a reasonable—”

Valerian snorted.

“—woman,” she finished, glaring at him over her shoulder. “And I’m willing to forget this entire episode of The Male Whores of Atlantis ever happened. All you have to do is take me home.”

Ignoring her, Joachim crossed his arms over his chest. “Where will she stay tonight?”

Where she will stay every night. “My chamber,” he answered in their language. “We’ll both guard the door.”

His cousin paused for a moment, running the idea through his mind. Finally he nodded. “Very well.”

Valerian released Shaye from his embrace and instantly mourned the loss of her softness and heat. She must have felt the same sense of loss, whether she would admit it or not, because she laced her arms over her middle and shivered.

“I love being disregarded, I really do.” She drummed her fingers against her sides. “So who’s taking me home?”

“I am,” Valerian answered before Joachim could respond. “When the ceremony concludes, I’m taking you home.”

With a startled gasp, she faced him. “Really? Seriously? Today’s ceremony, not some ceremony a few years from now?”

He drank her in, struck anew by the beauty of her. How could one woman make him ache so intensely? Make him forget everyone who’d come before her until only she existed?

“Yes.” Reaching out, he offered her a callused hand.

Suspicion suddenly darkened her features, but not even that detracted from her beauty. “Is this a trick?”

He knew she’d misunderstood his intentions; this was her new home. But he said nothing. Not yet.

“What makes you think I have a sense of humor?” he asked.

A smile bloomed, stealing the breath from his lungs.

Want to see that smile everyday—every hour!

“Thank you.” Tentative, she placed her palm against his.

Joachim offered his hand to her.

Seconds ticked by, every muscle in Valerian’s body knotting. If she took Joachim’s hand, simply to punish Valerian, she would encourage his cousin’s attentions and disprove the validity of Valerian’s declaration.

One heartbeat passed. Then another.

She kept her free hand at her side.

Triumph flared deep in his chest.

Valerian called to one of the remaining men. “You’re next.”

That man selected his prize quickly, leaving a single female in line.

Valerian called another name. The nymph cheered, taking the hand of the remaining female, while the other nymphs hissed with disappointment.

“Aeson,” Valerian said to one of the disappointed. “Prepare my chamber for Shaye.” Hopefully the loyal man would know what he truly desired—the removal of all traces of the human women he’d pleasured last eve.

The warrior nodded and rushed to obey.

“The rest of you are dismissed for the night,” he said. “Sneak into town, if you wish, but stay aware. Trust no one at your back.”

Off they went.

“This way.” He led Shaye out of the dining hall.

A few of the warriors, he noticed, hadn’t made it to their rooms. Couples were having sex right there in the hallways, leaning against the walls.

Moans, purrs and groans of delight echoed.

“My eyes,” Shaye gasped out. “My poor eyes.”

In a nymph household, such a sight was common. But he kept that fact to himself.

With her close on his heels, and Joachim close on hers, he ushered her past the kitchens, the training arena and the warriors’ barracks—where more moans and purrs abounded.

“Do they ever stop?” She’d probably hoped to sound exasperated. Instead she’d sounded breathless.

Primal excitement brewed within him. If she were his, he would have explored the reasons for her reaction. Namely—did she want Valerian to take her against a wall?

Soon, he vowed. Very soon.

His personal suite occupied the opposite end of the palace. An area he’d chosen for the large bathing pool and panoramic wall of windows that offered a breathtaking view of the Outer City below.

What would Shaye think of the luxuries?

Did she like antiques or modern furnishings? Bright colors or pastels? Did she prefer warmth to cold?

She was right; he didn’t know her well. But he wanted so badly to learn.

“Thank you for agreeing to take me back,” Shaye said. “I know you don’t want to, and I’m truly grateful.”

He’d never heard such a gentle, tender tone from her. She even wore an expression of gratitude, the sweetness of it softening her features and gifting her with bright radiance.