Page 16 of Jordan

Chapter Five

Nina came to, groggy and in intense pain. She tried to move her arms but found them bound to a bed via large iron chains. She snarled and pulled at them, trying and failing to break free. She was in a thin nightdress of sorts, but nothing else. It barely covered her.

The last memory she had was of walking in the jungle, nearing the outskirts of a rival village. Jordan had insisted they stop and explain themselves to the locals. There had been the smallest of stings in her right shoulder before everything around her went blank.

Darts.

They were common among the tribes close to the red sea. The ones who served Stegian.

Jordan?

He wasn’t with her.

She stared around and from what she could tell, she was in a hut of sorts, not a dungeon as she assumed she would be. The others had a thing for dark, damp places and torture.

Another ripple of pain ran through her body as sweat trickled between her breasts. She knew this type of pain. It wasn’t from an injury but rather her cycle kicking into gear. Being chained to a bed would do nothing but intensify the feeling, no doubt driving her mad in the process.

The door to the hut burst open and she expected to find one of the others there, ready and willing to kill her. When she spotted a head of shaggy blond hair and emerald green eyes, she relaxed slightly. “Vasil?”

Jordan took one look at her and shame showed in his gaze. “I’m sorry that I had to chain you.”

“What?” Nina asked, refusing to believe her ears. “You chained me to the bed? Why?”

He offered a sheepish grin. “Because once I told them who we were, they stopped preparing for our deaths and started trying to make amends for shooting us with tranq darts. They thought we were Stegian’s operatives.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “But you didn’t wake right away, and the little bit you did come to, you kept trying to throw yourself at their guards—and I don’t mean in a kick-their-asses kind of way.” He met her gaze. “I didn’t think you’d want me to allow you to fuck your way through a village’s army.”

As much as Nina wanted to be angry with Jordan, she couldn’t. He’d kept her from doing something she would have regretted for all eternity. A wave of painful heat rippled through her and she bit her lip to keep from crying out.

Jordan responded instantly, coming to her side and sitting on the edge of the bed. “Baby?”

In pain and temperamental, Nina glared at him. “Unchain me. Now!”

“I can’t.”

“What do you mean you cannot?”

He shrugged as a smile tugged at the corners of his sexy mouth. “I don’t have the key on me at the moment.”

Snarling, Nina tried to bite him but missed. Jordan laughed and waved a finger back and forth as if scolding her. “Now, that’s not very nice. Is it?”

“I am going to tear your head off and feed it to—”

Jordan grinned. “Wouldn’t you much rather have me ease your pain?” He touched her stomach and she thought she might burst.

“Get your hand off me.”

He did and she instantly regretted making him.

“Okay, suit yourself.” Jordan stood and stared down at her. “I’m not letting you go with mating energy pouring off you. I’m sorry, Nina, but I’ll risk you hating me in order to keep you from doing something you’ll regret.” He paused. “Can you eat? I’ll bring some soup in for you.”

She jerked at the chains. “Free me, now.”

“Nina,” he said, somewhere between a sigh and a whisper. “You know I can’t.”

Pain seized hold of her, leaving her temporarily blinded and unable to draw in air. It passed slowly and she felt something touching her brow. Blinking, she found Jordan leaning over her, wiping her with a cool cloth.

“I…I can…control it, Vasil. Free me.”

She couldn’t and she knew it. Something was wrong. It hadn’t been this strong prior to Jordan kissing and touching her. What had changed?

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