The Golden Dynasty(98)

My clothes were kickass here, it was true. But I was with him and I hoped I never had to wear that black outfit again in my life.

“Okay,” I whispered and his lips curved as his thumb swept mine.

“Okay,” he repeated.

I had more to say so I called, “Lahn?”

“Mm?” he murmured with another stroke of my jaw.

Okay, shit, it must be said there were some times when I really liked my husband. Now was one of them.

“Thanks also for not punishing your men,” I said and his grin turned to a smile.

“My Circe,” he started, “on your claiming, you stole my blade. No one, no other man, no other warrior, has ever taken my weapon. Not once. I know when your little warrior shines through, you will stop at nothing. I could not punish Bain for his weapon being seized when you had a mind to seize it for you did the same to me. He could not control you so he and Zahnin sought to control the situation. This is not grounds for punishment.”

Again, he was talking in Korwahk so I didn’t catch it all but I got the gist of it.

And the gist made me stare.

So when he received no response, Lahn spoke quietly. “I like my paint on you, my golden doe, because I like how I put it on you. But I like it more that your warrior spirit deserves the paint.”

I kept staring. Then I asked (in Korwahk), “No one has ever taken your weapon?”

He nodded.

“Wow,” I whispered and he smiled again.

“I do not know what that means, my tigress, but the way you say it and the look on your face, I do not have to ask.”

I felt my face get soft. Then I tilted my head until my forehead rested on his chin. To that, he tilted his until his lips rested on my forehead.

Then, there, he murmured, “The heavens wept at my wife’s command.”

I blinked at his throat and tilted my head back to ask what he meant but before I could say a word, from outside the cham I heard a man shout, “Kah Dax!”

Lahn’s head turned and then, to my shock (and horror, I must add), he shouted, “Enter!” in Korwahk and lifted up to sitting in the bed, taking me with him. The hides fell as he pulled my back to his front so I was facing the cham flaps, his arm across my breasts somewhat covering my nudity from the three warriors who bent and entered our cham.

He didn’t have to shield me. They only had eyes for their king.

Rapid fire Korwahk was thrown but I got this from it:

“You are needed, my king,” one of the warriors.

“I attend my bride,” Lahn (which I thought was nice).

“It is important, my king,” another warrior.

“I leave my wife in our bed, it had better be,” Lahn.

“You have my vow it is,” the second warrior who spoke, spoke again.

Lahn hesitated before he sighed. Then he turned me in his arms, his hand came up to curl around the underside of my jaw and he dipped his face to mine.

“Rest and try to sleep, my tigress. I will return,” he said in English.

I nodded, he held my face steady and touched his lips to mine.

Then he set me in bed, threw the hides over me, exited off the side, went to the trunks, pulled out then yanked on another pair of hides and left the cham still tying them at his hips.

The warriors followed.

The rain fell.

And I lay in bed in the tent, listening to the drops slap against the cham and I tried to do as my husband ordered – rest and sleep.

But all that filled my head was the beautiful, tragic bride of a monster saying a word she did not know but a word I knew in my soul she understood, “Rainbow.”

And I hoped she was over it, her spirit now inhabiting a wonderful world.



I woke when Lahn’s arms shifted me into his body.

Sleepily, I lifted my face to his and my eyes fluttered open.

“Is all well?” I whispered.

“Yes, my golden doe, now sleep.”

I nodded but kept my face tipped to his as his moved closer to mine.

And then when his lips pressed against mine, groggy and not thinking, mine parted.

And the instant they did, his tongue swept inside.

It felt great and he tasted even better.

My body snuggled closer to his as I drowsily offered my mouth to my husband, he accepted, his arms growing tight around me and he drank deep.

When he ended the kiss I felt his lips move against mine as I heard the rough, whispered words, “Golden honey.”

I mumbled, “Mm,” dipped my chin and tucked my face in Lahn’s throat.

Then I fell asleep in his strong, tight arms.





Chapter Twenty-One

The Golden Goddess





“Wake, my queen,” I heard Lahn’s voice, my eyes fluttered open but before I was fully awake, he plucked me out of bed, planted my ass in his lap, knees bent, one arm circling my calves and waist, the other hand sifting in my hair from the neck up.