Love's Eternal Embrace (2 page)

He turned around again and leaned forward,
patting the side of Loucetios’ neck. “It’s all right, my friend.
We’ll find our way out.” Loucetios stomped his right front hoof and
lifted his head with a whinny, but Liam ignored his protests and
pushed him forward.

The wind wailed like a banshee and was cold
like frost and as pesky as a fly as it whipped his long strands in
his eyes.

Gooooooo back…
A ghostly whisper
tickled his ear.

He pulled on the reins again. “
Who goes
there?”

Turn baaaa…ck.

The hairs on his arms stood up on end. “Tis a
ghost warning us, Loucetios.”

Loucetios nickered, nodding his head in
agreement as if to say,
“Finally, you have come to your
senses.”

Gooooo. Goooooo,
the unearthly voice’s
urgent pleas grew stronger.

At this point, he didn’t care if the whole
village thought him a coward, he would no longer stay in the
forest. The sprits wished him gone, and so, he would honor their
request.

He whirled Loucetios around, only to have his
mount thrash in fright, rising up on his hind legs and unseating
him. He fell hard, hitting his head on a rock or something just as
unyielding. Loucetios galloped away, leaving him behind in the
dark, now that the candle in the lantern had blown out. Never had
his mount acted in such a manner. He’d fought wars, slashing his
sword at the enemy and never had Loucetios run away in fright. Yet
here he sat, abandoned within the haunted forest.

He sat up and regretted the movement as his
eyesight wavered in and out. His vision caught movement, light, and
a blur of color. His hand went for his sword, withdrawing it. The
sharp scrape of metal added to the wails of the wind.

Wanting to meet his foe on his feet, he moved
too quickly, causing the world to spin. The whirl of colors taunted
him like he was the prey about to be devoured. “Who goes there?” He
whipped around at a sound behind him. The sudden movement caused
his vision to dim to black. He fell backwards like a felled tree,
but before darkness overtook him, he could have sworn he heard a
woman’s soft whisper.

“You are mine now.”

Chapter Three

“I am sorry, Sir Knight.” A soft musical
voice soothed him. He forced his lids to obey and open. He was a
knight and would not greet a lady like a heap of wood ready for
burning.

He blinked in disbelief as he sat up, leaning
his forearm on his raised knee. “Surely, I have died and gone to
heaven.” A golden light haloed the woman’s beauty as if bestowing
homage to her. His brows furrowed at the sight of this fair lady
before him. She sat beneath the branches combing her fingers
through her dark mahogany colored hair, the light glittering on the
strands as if the sun shone upon it. Yet the forest remained dark.
“Oh bright lady, what chance has left you alone in these woods? Say
the word, I will make sure you find your way back to your dear
kindred.”

Her lips curved into a lovely smile. “I have
no friends or kin to go back to. I live here in the woods.” She
tilted her head as she gazed at him. Her light eyes were as blue as
the ocean of Malta.

He came to his feet, but kept his distance so
not to frighten her. “I am Sir William Cantwell at your service, my
lady.” He bowed deep and with flourish.

Her lips curved and her eyes glowed red. He
blinked and her eyes were blue once more. It must have been a trick
of the light, the unnatural light surrounding her and her only.

“You braved the forest at night. I’m
impressed,” she said as she came to her feet in one fluid move.

He decided he wouldn’t reveal it was his
drunken boast that led him here to slay a fiend. Surely, the
villagers did not mean this lovely creature. “Do I have something
to fear, fair maiden?”

She seemed to consider his question with the
utmost care. “Not at the moment, I suppose.”

He glanced around, wondering where Loucetios
had run off. In truth, this fair maiden’s sudden appearance made
him question his safety. A beautiful woman could not live alone in
the forest and if she did, there were others.

It would be best to leave the woods at once
and live to tell the tale than to linger and mayhap fall prey to
this fair maiden’s men. Perhaps they lay in wait as they spoke,
buying their time before leaping from the shadows. He opened his
mouth to tell her of his regrets for leaving her, but closed it
again when in a blink of an eye she stood close enough to touch,
the glow surrounding her blazing brighter. Her dress was of fine
velvet befitting royalty, not of a peasant in need of robbing to
survive. Her fine boned features were both delicate and strong. She
possessed a straight petite nose, high cheekbones, and lips made
for kissing. In truth, she was the most beautiful woman he ever
laid eyes on and one he would feel honored to court. He frowned at
where his thoughts had taken him, but somehow this woman befuddled
his judgment. Aye, she was a comely lass, whose brazen stares spoke
of desire, or so he believed.

As a Knight Templar, he took an oath to
follow the religious rules, the Rule of Benedict. He wore the white
vestment, the symbol of purity and the life of celibacy, but he was
no longer required to follow the Order’s rules.

Her direct look set his blood coursing
through his veins, hot with lust. Wed her or ravish her seemed to
be one and the same as his thoughts pictured her in his bed and
beneath him.

As if she could read his mind, her full red
lips curved. “You look like a strong and able man.” Her gaze
traveled the length of him in appreciation. It was too bold a gaze
for a woman who was untried. Liam was pleased rather than not.
Someone should know what they were doing in the marriage bed. The
church may condemn such pleasures of the body, believing bedding a
woman should be left for child bearing, but he didn’t believe it
for a moment that the maker of man would not want his creations to
enjoy each other. Why bestow the magic of touch if they were not
meant to reap the rewards. Nay, his God gave man a special gift.
The sin was only in the act of abusing it.

His gaze traveled over her, admiring her
curves, the smooth porcelain color of her skin. This woman was
meant for pleasure, giving and taking. He must convince her to be
his.

“I am most curious, Sir Knight, how would you
please me?” she asked him.

“How…” His brows furrowed. “You can read my
mind.” He didn’t ask, but stated the obvious.

“Among other talents, I assure you.” Her hand
touched his and he shivered. Her touch was like ice, but it also
increased his desire to have her.

“You are cold, milady.” He drew off his
mantle and draped it around her. Her eyes widened in surprise at
the gesture.

“You are too kind, Sir Knight.”

“Liam, please. My friends call me Liam.”

Her smile curved wider, revealing straight
white teeth. On his journeys many women over the age of ten and
nine had begun to lose their teeth, but not this woman who lived
among the trees. His gaze focused on two of her teeth that appeared
pointier than the others. The villagers claimed a female fiend
lived in the forest, but surely this woman with thick dark hair
could not be such a creature. He didn’t fear her, but longed to
hold her. As her gaze slid over him, appreciation gleamed in her
eyes. The wind still blew about them in a fury. A storm threatened
the night, not ghosts or fiends. “And what may I call you, fair
maiden?”

“I was once called Glamis Drui.”

“Lady Glamis Drui.” He raised her hand to his
lips. Her flesh was still cool, but she didn’t shiver. The wind
seemed not to bother her in the least. “Do you have shelter,
milady? We must wait out the storm.” His gaze swept over her comely
figure with appreciation.

She stepped closer as if to inhale his
essence. “Will you break your vows of celibacy and warm me this
night then?”

She knew he was untried, but he failed to
wonder how and question her further. He wanted nothing more than to
be with her. “Aye, I am yours.”

Chapter Four

Liam followed Glamis with ease. The trees and
earth seemed to recognize her as one with them and secured a path
for her to follow.

A dark shadow loomed in the distance and it
took him a moment to realize he viewed a keep. The tall stone
structure stood across the loch, tall and straight, a fortified
structure with only a few slit windows. At the end of the forest, a
boat bobbed up and down on top of the water. She got in first with
him following her. He rowed them to the other side, his gaze never
leaving her. Heat curled inside of him, threatening his control. He
wanted her, but he wanted to enjoy his first time with a woman and
not rush the act. Years of practice taught him to control his
passions and he tempered them now, less he shame himself.

He helped her out of the boat then followed
her inside expecting servants to greet them, but there was not a
living soul but for them.

The grand hall remained as cool as it was
outdoors, but at least it kept the wind at bay. Only the howling of
its presence reminded him of the harshness of the weather. His eyes
focused on the large fireplace. It stood dark and foreboding as if
a fire had not licked against it to create warmth in a long time.
His brows furrowed as he wondered how Glamis fought off the chill
of the long winter months.

No candles were lit and he couldn’t see more
than a few feet in front of him, but Glamis moved about as if the
cover of night didn’t hamper her sight in the least. She did have
the unnatural glow about her, lighting her path.

“I shall gather wood to keep us warm through
the night,” he offered.

“As you wish.” Her slim shoulders lifted in a
shrug, seeming not to care. She may think otherwise as the night
wore on and the storm took hold.

Twenty minutes later a roaring fire sent
shadows leaping against the stone walls of the keep, revealing the
grandness of the room. A long table stood at one end. Chairs with
soft cushions sat near a smaller table carved from oak. Large,
ornate tapestries adorned the walls. The intricate details would
take a lifetime or more for a lass to complete. “I like that one
best of all.” He pointed to the woven piece of rich blue, blood
red, and gold. It depicted a couple locked in an embrace. A keep,
like this one stood in the background. What intrigued him the most
was the moon shining upon the couple as if it represented a symbol
of worship.

“You are most gracious. It is my favorite as
well.” Her gaze touched the fine piece. Her unusual eyes dimmed as
if saddened by what the tapestry represented.

“Is the creation yours then?”

Her gaze returned to him. “Aye, all the
tapestries are mine.”

He frowned. She couldn’t be much older than
ten and nine with her skin so flawless and her hair thick. How
could she have created so many lovely tapestries in her short
life?”

“I am much older than you believe, Sir
Knight. Older than you by far.”

He chuckled, but when she didn’t join him, he
lifted a brow in surprise. “You are serious.”

“I do not lie.”

“You have done well to keep your youth.”

“’Tis a curse,” she said with a long drawn
out sigh.

Before he could ask her what she meant, her
hand slid down his arm, distracting his thoughts.

“Let us move closer to the fire.” He spread
his mantle out on the floor and stood to face her. By the fire his
body warmed, but when he reached for Glamis to draw her into his
embrace, she still felt cold to the touch. Before he could question
her, she again distracted him. Her lips touched his in a passionate
kiss with tongue and teeth. He felt a prick and pulled away in
surprise. He touched his lips and stared at his finger, the tip
revealing a pearl of his blood.

Glamis reached for his hand and took the
finger in her mouth. Her eyes closed as if she relished the taste
of him. “All better.” Her gaze met his, her eyes glowing an
unearthly reddish color.

“Your eyes…”

She took him under her spell again. Kissing
away any coherent thoughts. Her hands made short work of his
clothing as if her talent was to undress men at will. The erotic
act proved intoxicating. “You have too many clothes on, milady.” He
reached for her, but she backed away from him.

“I shall be quicker.”

He lifted a brow. Before he could make a
comment, she whirled around in a gleam of light, her hair flying
like dark waves of silk. When she stopped, she stood before him as
bare as he was.

“How?” His gaze wavered over her smooth skin,
so pale and beautiful in the firelight.

“Does it matter, Sir Knight?” She took the
steps that separated them. Her hands slid over his torso and he
forgot how cold her skin felt when his body blazed with heat and
lust to have her. His heart slammed erratically against his ribcage
as her fingers worked magic, going lower and lower.

“Will you be mine this night?” her hand
closed over his shaft, causing him to inhale with a sharp intake of
breath.

“Aye, I am yours.”

She spread out on his mantel, her beautiful
dark strands haloing her face. Her features were that of an angel,
but the way she beckoned him with the crook of her finger,
temptress fit her better. He went to her, opening her thighs. She
guided his fingers to the nub of her passion. Her gaze never left
his as her body responded to his caresses. She didn’t hide her
passion, but enjoyed showing him what he did to her.

“Now, Sir Knight. Take me now.”

He obeyed and drove his steel into her, his
body feeling shockingly hot against hers. She clung to him, taking
all he gave her, absorbing the heat of his passion. As he moved
faster between her thighs, her eyes turned suddenly wild. With a
low growl, she flipped him onto his back with strength he could not
understand, but he cared not of the oddity. She ground her hips
into him. Her breasts stood high, the nipples firm as he teased
them.