Page 98 of Poisoned Kingdom
‘So to take a man to my bed, I have to kill you first?’ she retorted, a vicious smile teasing her lips as she straightened her dress. ‘That’s cruel, Reynard. I kind of like you, but you must understand—a woman has needs.’
‘Name them, and I’ll ensure you’re never left wanting,’ I said, pleasure warming my chest when I caught the blush on her cheeks.
‘You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep,’ she whispered, blushing even more when I tapped the tip of her nose and challenged her.
‘Try me.’
I took a deep breath and reluctantly stepped back. There was one thing I had to do first. With a sharp command, I called for my adjutant. After a brief exchange, the captains responsible for patrolling the northern and southern roads were given new orders.
Sana sat quietly, her eyes brightening when I ordered my men to stop and search every wagon travelling through Dagome. It was a challenging task, but with my enhanced patrols and the swampland now guarded by loyal soldiers, it was doable. After they’d left and I sat on my cot, she chuckled, her entire demeanour changing from despair to cautious hope.
‘I’m sorry, Your Majesty. Your word truly is your bond. Shall I kneel and prostrate myself for not believing you, or let you sniff my neck to earn forgiveness?’ she said, mischief dancing in her eyes.
There was nothing more I could do to find the dwarf, but my work here wasn’t finished, and I suspected Sana needed a break from constantly worrying about her friend.
‘You have no objection to me savouring your scent?’ I asked, seeing her pupils widen at my question. ‘I thought we’d discussed making reckless offers, but I see you enjoy playing with fire. Do you even know why I did that?’
‘Yes . . . and no. But I’ve seen enough at Lilies not to judge,’ she quipped, making me laugh.
‘While I’m sure Liliana’s basement is full of exotic delights, they don’t appeal to me. What do you know of the Erenhart bloodline?’ I asked, satisfied when she frowned.
‘I know your brother, the king of Ozar, was a dragon rider, that’s all. Why?’
‘My family is afflicted by wild magic. Those who manifest it at a young age become riders. Those who don’t are cursed to carry it within them and pass it on to the next generation. The magic is—or should be—dormant.’
‘And that means you need to sniff people?’ Roksana leaned forward, listening to my explanation.
‘Well, not exactly. Its effects are obvious—’ I gestured to my body, indicating my large physique. ‘—but there are less visible differences. Like a resistance to pain, and, as I recently discovered, a sensitivity to certain smells.’
Sana’s lips parted, making it hard to resist touching her. My Viper looked so intrigued by the story that I continued sharing more than I initially intended to.
‘The magic makes it difficult to control our temper, at least when it manifests. It can trigger the berserker within me, a rage that your assailants in the forest witnessed firsthand. That part of me recognises you. Your magic . . .’ My words stumbled into silence when I realised how insane I sounded.
I tried again. ‘Ciesko explained it better. Your scent is . . . just, right. But no, Roksana, I won’t be sniffing your neck—unless you want me to abandon all reason and ravage you on this table.’
Her breath sped up, her eyes growing wilder when she understood what I’d said. Her lips parted, and I leaned forward, placing my hands on the armrests of the chair, caging her delicious body beneath me.
‘Now that you know, are you brave enough to make that offer again?’
I’d intended the words to be teasing, but as they left my lips, I knew I wanted Sana’s answer to be ‘yes.’
‘I . . . why is everything so intense with you?’ she deflected, turning away as she fanned herself.
‘I don’t know, but I’m glad I’m not the only one suffering.’
I smirked and pulled away to ring the bell.
‘Ensure my guest is comfortable,’ I said when my valet entered before turning back to Roksana. ‘We’ll be wrapping up our work here soon, then I’ll take you back to Truso.’
‘I can return on my own. I’ll leave you to your . . .’ Sana looked around, perplexed, then shrugged. ‘Whatever this is, but please let me know if you find Tova. Meanwhile, I’ll speak with the Mules. Boyan has regained control of the smugglers—mostly—so maybe I can get a map of any routes we might not know about,’ she said, standing up, but I pushed her back onto the chair.
‘You will stay here. The garrison is in the middle of a bloody forest. I’m not risking you.’
Her fists tightened, and I wondered whether she’d argue, but much to my relief, she nodded. ‘Fine, I’ll wait for you, but can I at least walk around the camp? Sitting in a tent with nothing to do but worry is hardly a pleasant experience.’
‘Of course. You’re not a prisoner, but I’ll assign a guard to ensure the men behave,’ I said, and she rolled her eyes.
‘I can teach them a lesson myself if they don’t,’ she huffed.
