Alarr captured her hands, holding them there. ‘I have no balance, and I cannot run very far. When it rains, I feel the pain aching deep within. These are wounds that will never heal.’
She understood, then, why he believed he had to die in this battle. He did not believe he was a man of worth any more. His vengeance was not about hurting Feann—it was about ending his own pain of loss.
She leaned in closer and touched her forehead to his. ‘Your wounds are not here, Alarr.’ She lifted her hands from his legs and moved them to his heart. ‘Your wounds are here.’
His face was a breath away from hers, and inwardly, she was trembling. His blue eyes were searing, his hunger burning within them. May the gods forgive her, she wanted him to touch her —even though she knew he would not stay.
She closed her eyes, trying to gather what little control she had. Beneath her palms, his skin was warm, but she did not pull her hands back.
‘You are still a man of strength,’ she whispered. ‘He didn’t take that from you.’
‘He took away everything that mattered,’ he said softly.
Her heart bled for him, for the losses he’d endured, and the dark frustration that shadowed his heart. And despite everything, she wanted him to live. Even if they could not be together, she wanted him to put the past behind him.
‘He didn’t take away everything,’ she whispered. ‘There are many who care about you.’
Alarr drew his hands around her waist and lay back on the furs, pulling her body atop his. She could feel the hard ridge of his arousal between her thighs, and it caused her body to ache. Beneath her gown, her breasts tightened, and it was difficult to catch her breath.
‘What do you want from me, Breanne?’ His voice was hoarse, as if he had no control remaining. The tension stretched between them, and her heartbeat quickened as she sat astride him.
The silence that fell between them was a chasm of unspoken words. He tightened his hold upon her body, and another flicker of heat licked at her skin. She hardly knew how to answer. At last, she said, ‘I want you to let him live.’
Before he could refuse, she touched her fingertips to his mouth. ‘I don’t expect you to let go of your hatred or anger. But I am asking that you do this for my sake.’
He stared at her as if she had asked too much of him. Already she could see the refusal in his eyes. But this was about more than abandoning his vengeance. She didn’t want him to die.
At this moment, she could not put a name to her feelings for Alarr, for they were tangled up in invisible knots. She knew he was wrong for her, an enemy. She knew he would leave. And yet, when she was in his arms, she felt alive. He had been both her warrior and her rescuer—a man who tempted her in ways she didn’t understand.
But more than that, she wanted to close up Alarr’s invisible wounds and make him see that he was more than a fighter. He was a man who deserved a new beginning.
Despite all the reasons why this was wrong...she could not suppress the longing that rose within her. And if she made Alarr believe that there was another way to avoid bloodshed, she could save them both.
‘If you let Feann live, I will give you whatever you want.’ Her voice was breathless, but she kept her gaze fixed upon him. Slowly, Breanne reached for the laces of her gown and loosened them. She knew it sounded as if she were making the ultimate sacrifice. But the truth was, she wanted Alarr badly. She hadn’t lied when she had called him a man of strength. He had shielded her all these weeks, keeping her safe.
Alarr said nothing but distracted her by drawing his hand down the curve of her spine. He moved beneath her, and a shiver of anticipation slid over her. Her breath hitched, and she reached for his shoulders. He pressed against the juncture of her thighs, and a surge of desire prickled within. She grew wet between her legs, wanting something she could not understand.
‘Feann must face justice for what he did.’ His voice was like iron, rigid and unyielding.
Breanne drew her hands to his chest. ‘I agree that he must atone for the attack. But grant me his life, I beg you.’
She leaned in and kissed him, hoping she could change his mind. Her action seemed to ignite his desire, and Alarr answered the kiss, devouring her with his mouth. His tongue slid inside, and she felt an answering ache between her legs. Her breathing grew rough, and she gripped his hair, meeting his needs with her own.
‘He isn’t worth your innocence, Breanne. Save that for a man worthier than me.’
She understood then, that he was granting her the choice. He wanted her, but he would not claim her body unless she gave her full consent. She could stop her actions now, and he would let her be. But she could not deny that his caress tempted her, making her want to be loved.
There was a strong chance that he would not agree to this bargain. But she didn’t want to stand back without fighting for the lives of the men she cared about. ‘You are a man of worth, Alarr.’
He lifted his hand to her face. ‘When you left with those men, all I could think of was bringing you back.’ He brought her palm to his heart, resting it there. ‘I want more than your innocence, Breanne.’
She didn’t understand what he meant. When she studied his face, she saw the man who had come for her, time and again. Alarr had been hardened by battle and the need for
