Thousands of years ago, the Kingdom of Nork.Near the Dark River.James… James... Heal yourself. James...The deep male voice that called to James was familiar. Always in his dreams, when his defences were weakened, but it was stronger now than ever before. It was so familiar that James could almost feel the familiarity of the voice.In the back of his mind, he heard the tick, tick, tick of a clock. “Who are you?” he demanded.An image flashed in his mind. Not of the speaker, but of huge, grotesque monsters crawling toward him. Each had eight legs, with sharp, deadly points. They were black and hairy, their eyes big and beady, their tails pointed and curling toward him. They were staring him down, as if he were a tasty snack. Bile rose in his throat, but James pressed on, ignoring them.“Where are you? Who are you?” James asked.The voice whispered. James… my brother…heal yourself, and come. Time… save me, save us. The woman. She is the answer.“Answer?” James asked again and again.

Grace flattened her hand over his heart, as if measuring the erratic beat against her own. So trusting she was, so trustworthy. She hadn’t left him when she’d had the chance. So forgiving, too. James had allowed her to be whipped, yet still she’d taken care of him. Had even, he mused, cleaned his teeth. His mouth tasted fresh, like mint.She groaned again, but this time, oh, this time, there was no pain in her voice. Only pleasure. Such a decadent sound. Instantly James’ shaft stood at attention, filling, hardening, and readying. He bit his tongue, his fangs sinking deep into the tissue."James?" Grace breathed sleepily. "All is well, Grace. Go back to sleep.""No, I—""You’re right. You may sleep after you tell me who hit you," he interrupted before she could make a demand of her own."You did." Warm breath trekked over his chest, tickling his skin."What?" he shouted. "Me?""Accident. No worries. And I didn’t mean to cuddle up to you. I’m sorry."She was sorry? "Grace. I am sorry."

"Distract me," Grace said. Otherwise, she just might beg him for a happy ending. Something she couldn’t allow herself to do. He said they would mate soon. Which meant, now was not the time.Or was she supposed to beg? Before, in the bedroom, he’d said, Not until you beg me. Was that what he wanted now? What did he expect? To work her into a frenzy and hear her plead? Well, she would—"Distract you how?" James asked, surprising her.Okay, so begging wasn’t on the menu. Astonished with herself, she fought a wave of disappointment. "Tell me a story."He stilled. "A story?""Yes." Grace cracked open her eyelids and added, "Whatever you do, don’t stop massaging!"His lips twitched despite the tension radiating from him, something she found endearing. Most likely, amusement had not been a part of his life for a while, yet he seemed to enjoy her. As she enjoyed him."A story about what?" he asked. He remained between her splayed legs, with her knees bent and framing him."I don’t know. Your

The burn of his mouth, the suction of his tongue, both caused riotous reactions in her body. She clutched at his back, pulled at his hair, and lost herself in a bliss that should have been impossible. Soon she was even writhing and thrashing against him, desperate for completion. He purred against her, his breath warm. Then something hot, so wonderfully hot, entered her system. And okay, she hadn’t truly known pleasure before that moment. This was pleasure. Magic. Pleasure in its purest form. Strength, heat, and power. She felt those, too. Her thrashing became a single-minded pursuit for the elusive satisfaction that still hovered so close. She ground herself against his erection, over and over again, with little shivers of sensation coursing through her every time he swallowed. God. She could climb him like a mountain. Could eat him up, one tasty bite at a time. Could remain in his arms forever.
He wrenched free of her vein. "Have to…stop. I can’t take…too much." There was no such

Perhaps they weren’t as dumb as she’d first thought. This one had known to hang back, to wait, to watch, and grab her while everyone else was preoccupied. Were any others waiting in the shadows?How would she fight them all?A cold rage of her own infused her. Thankfully no one else appeared, and when James and company were no longer in sight, leaves and branches shielding them, she erupted. Fight. She angled her arms, lifted both of her elbows this time, and then slammed them home. He gave another grunt, finally loosening his hold.Another angle shift, and she thrust her arms down, using the makeshift daggers. The tips sliced deep into his thighs.With a howl of pain, the beast shoved her away from his body. One of the daggers remained lodged, but the other glided free as she stumbled forward. Grace righted herself and whirled around, facing him. This giant was scowling, his fangs dripping with saliva. His red eyes glowed with menace.“I punish you,” the giant creature snarled as he