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

The following week was, in Leo’s opinion, the best week of his life. He spent the days touring the duchy with his new father-in-law, who enjoyed having a young man to mentor. Whereas General Harden had taught Leo everything he knew about war and self-defense, Lucas Vintello taught him how to govern with wisdom.

In the evenings, he returned to Vindemar, where he spent half the night making love to Luciana. After years of sensory starvation, he couldn’t get enough of touching her. When they ate, he sat close enough to rub his leg against hers. When they fell asleep, he continued to hold her. In private, he called her Luciana, for it made her smile, and as besotted as he was, he loved making her smile.

The news soon spread that the new duke was sharing his duchess’s bed, and somehow, she had miraculously survived it. The people of Vindemar swelled with pride, for it was their lady who had tamed the Beast of Benwick. And since it was clear that the Beast was cherished by both his wife and the former duke, the people began to accept him, too. For the first time in Leo’s life, the common folk greeted him with smiles instead of fearful cringing.

He knew, however, that this idyllic time could not last. Soon, he would have to take Luciana and her father to court, and during that trip the king would probably try to kill them.

At the end of the week, he received news from General Harden. The Eberoni army had successfully pushed the elfin army back. Unfortunately, news had come down from the north that the Norveshki dragons were raiding once again. So the general had left several troops behind to guard the border with Woodwyn, and was now taking the rest of the army north. Leo sent the envoy back to the general with a letter expressing his thanks and approval.

The next day, Nevis returned with his troop of soldiers and an exhausted Brody. Father Rune had managed to elude them in the marshlands along the Ron River.

Leo suspected the priest was waiting for him to take Luciana and her father to court in Ebton. He’d sent an envoy to the king after his wedding, so he was expecting a reply soon.

The king’s envoy arrived two days later. Leo was ordered to bring his wife to court immediately. There was no mention of her father, so apparently, the former duke was no longer of interest. Leo had successfully made himself the target.

Lucas Vintello suggested they travel by ship. That way they could avoid any traps set by Father Rune on the land route. But when Leo accompanied his father-in-law to the nearby port to book a ship, they were met by some disturbing news. The infamous Tourinian pirate, Rupert, was terrorizing the villages along the coast of Eberon. No ship could travel to the Ebe River without being seized and boarded.

Back at Vindemar, Leo ordered Nevis to take his troop and Leo’s personal guard to protect the villages along the western coast.

“Bad idea,” Nevis protested. “You need us to guard you on your journey to court.”

“I’ll have Brody, Jensen, and Edmund. And I’ll keep one of my personal guard—”

“Not enough!” Nevis growled. “Father Rune is still out there, and the king may have hired even more assassins. It’s my job to protect you.”

“And it’s my job to protect the people of Eberon. Go to the coast and try to capture that pirate. Meanwhile, I think we’ll draw less attention to ourselves as a small group. We’ll pack light, dress plainly, and move quickly. If we stay off the main roads and avoid villages and inns, no one will even know where we are.”

Nevis gave him a skeptical look.

“And don’t forget that my power is still high. I’m very difficult to kill.”

“Difficult to win an argument with,” Nevis grumbled.

“You can accompany us as far as the Ron River,” Leo conceded. “Then you will leave for the coast, and we’ll head north to Ebton.”

*

Five days later, they parted at the ferry crossing for the Ron River. The journey through the Duchy of Vindalyn had been smooth since Leo was now the duke and possessed castles along the way for spending the night.

There’d been one awkward moment when they’d left the fortress of Vindemar. After hugging her father good-bye, Luciana had been greeted by the stable master, who had readied her favorite horse for the trip. One look at his wife’s face, and Leo had suspected Luciana didn’t know how to ride.

“Lady Tatiana will ride with me for now,” Leo had announced. “We will bring her horse with us, so she can ride it later if she so desires.”

She’d given him a relieved smile as he’d pulled her up in front of him.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tight against his chest. Her sweet bottom nestled against his groin. “My pleasure.”

When Vindemar was out of sight, he whispered in her ear, “You never learned how to ride?”

She shook her head.

“You’ll be expected to know how at court.” After giving her instructions for a while, she tried riding her horse slowly beside him.

She improved each day, and each night he massaged her sore legs and buttocks, as well as other places that made her writhe with pleasure. Then he teased her that she also needed to learn how to ride her husband with great skill.

Leo smiled to himself. She was a fast learner.

After crossing the Ron River, they moved quickly through the countryside, staying off the main roads. Jensen traveled in front with Brody, who remained in dog form during the day. He remembered Father Rune’s scent from the catacombs, so he preferred to remain as a dog so he could detect if the priest was nearby.

Leo rode beside Luciana, the two of them dressed simply, though he had a sword under his cloak and numerous daggers hidden in his clothes and boots. Edmund remained close by, and behind them, his personal guard Stanley brought up the rear.