How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days (The Embraced #1)

“I didn’t do that much.”


“I understand you wish to be helpful, but from now on you must be more careful. You’ll need to attend mass tomorrow morning, but after that I want you to return straight to your bedchamber.”

She could see the worry in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

He patted her hand. “We can’t discuss it here. Just stay by my side during the banquet.”

She bit her lip, wondering what had happened. Did someone suspect she was an imposter? Or perhaps Captain Bougaire was causing trouble?

The duke sighed. “Father Grendel came to me a little while ago, complaining that you never came for confession.”

“But I did. I went today.”

“Really? Perhaps he forgot. Father Grendel’s memory has gotten worse in the past year. That’s why he’s retiring.”

Luciana thought back to her confession with the priest. It had been hard to see much of him, what with the dim lighting and the hood he was wearing, but she’d gotten the distinct impression that he was young. His voice had been strong. Deep and very … male. “I don’t think the priest who took my confession was old.”

Her father stopped with a jerk. “He was young?”

“I believe so.”

The duke’s eyes widened with alarm. “Don’t go to the chapel again without me and our guards.”

“What is going on?”

Her father resumed walking with her. “I’ll explain later when we’re alone. And you’ll be getting a second guard tomorrow afternoon from the Lord Protector’s army. The general insisted.”

She winced. Why would the general want her guarded with one of his own soldiers? A likely answer popped into her mind. The Lord Protector might suspect she was planning to run away rather than marry him. He might even hear from the priest that she’d confessed to being afraid of him.

She groaned inwardly. She shouldn’t have confided in the priest. But she’d felt compelled to say something honest. He hadn’t seemed to buy her long-bath story. Come back when you’ve done something you actually regret.

But he had made her feel better. His words of assurance had buoyed her spirits, much like the handsome, redheaded man who had watched her so intently that morning.

When they entered the Great Hall, she was astonished by how many people were there. The castle guards were in full uniform, blue and white, while a few high-ranking officers from the Eberoni army were there, dressed in the royal red and black. Her father introduced her to General Harden, who didn’t seem nearly as horrid now that she knew he wasn’t her betrothed.

The duke led her through the crowd, and she smiled and greeted people with her best accent. When it came to her father’s vassals, these were people she was supposed to know. Thankfully, her father was extremely helpful.

“Tatiana, dear,” he would say, “you remember Baron Suffield, don’t you?”

“Yes, of course,” Luciana would reply with a curtsy. “So good to see you again.”

And then they would move on to the next guest.

When the three priests approached, the duke greeted them by name. The two older priests were Fathers Grendel and Owen. The young one was Father Rune. She said a few words, her smile freezing when she saw the young priest ogling her breasts.

His gaze lifted to her face, and he sniffed with his long hawk-like nose. “My lady. How kind of you to grace us with … so much of your presence.”

Luciana stiffened as a mixture of embarrassment and alarm swept through her. Her father’s arm tensed beneath her hand, and she turned toward him. “I fear our good guests have gone hungry long enough.”

“Quite so, my dear.” He motioned to the servants to begin bringing in the food, then led her onto the dais, where they would dine at the head table with their special guest, General Harden.

The general sat to her father’s left, while Luciana took her seat to his right. Her heart pounded, and as her gaze drifted over the Great Hall, all she could see was a blur of bright colors. All she heard was a hum of noise. For her mind was still focused on the sound of the young priest’s voice. It had been nasal and high-pitched. Rude and sneering.

He was not the man who had taken her confession. None of the priests sounded like him. Her hands gripped the arms of her chair. She could come to only one conclusion.

The man who had listened to her was not a priest.

So who was he?

*

At the far end of the Great Hall, Leo was upstairs in the musicians’ gallery. Once again, there were no musicians, so the balcony was dark and empty. With his hooded black cape and his body partially concealed behind a heavy curtain, he had remained unnoticed by the crowd below.

The banquet was a dangerous event for the duke and his daughter. With so many people milling about, it would not be difficult for an assassin to attempt something with a knife. His gaze scanned all the castle guards, searching for any signs of a hidden weapon. A few of his highest-ranking officers were below, and since they knew about the danger, they were watching everyone carefully. They also knew he was keeping his presence a secret for a few days in order to spur the assassins into action.

His breath caught when Tatiana came in, escorted by her father. Her cheeks were rosy with color, though he was quick to note that her blush did not extend down her lovely neck to the creamy white mounds so sweetly displayed. His groin tightened. God, she was beautiful. How would he resist touching her?

And why was he feeling so damned possessive? He didn’t even know her yet, but each time a male guest lowered his gaze to her breasts, he wanted to rearrange the man’s face.

A quick look around confirmed that her gown didn’t expose any more than the ones worn by other women in attendance. But the other women could strip naked and his eyes would still gravitate back to Tatiana. What was it about her that drew him in?