Mad, Bad & Dangerous

dry. “I don’t-er, I, uh-no, no mate,” he stammered, watching her lips move, pink and soft and supple.

“Oh, of course. You and Kett.”

“There’s no ‘and’,” Kett snapped. “We’ve only just met.”

“Well, yes, but if he had a mate then he couldn’t be, er, you two couldn’t…”

“What makes you think we have?”

There was silence. Bael thought he heard Miho suppressing a giggle, but he couldn’t be sure he’d actually heard anything through the fog of memories of Kett this morning, Kett last night, hot and strong and naked, her mouth and her breasts and her tight, sweet pussy.

He was glad he was sitting down, because to get a hard-on in front of his king would be pretty damn embarrassing.

“Sweetheart,” Chance said, “I know.”

“Oh, piss off,” Kett snarled halfheartedly, stabbing at her plate again, and the table was silent a moment more before Miho cleared her throat and tried to start another conversation.

“How long have you been in the Realm?” she asked Chance and Dark.

“Oh, not very long. A few weeks. We’ll be going back to Peneggan soon, of course, to Elvyrn for Yule. Kett, are you coming?”

Kett shrugged. Her breasts moved interestingly beneath the thin tunic she had on under her open kimono. Chance had spent a futile few minutes trying to get Kett into an obi and then given up and let her wear the kimono open like a long robe. Bael could hardly object. Fastened up, the kimono concealed all those attributes of hers that he so enjoyed looking at.

“Well, it’ll be nice if you do. Bring Bael.”

Kett shot her a venomous look. It made her eyes sparkle and flash.

Chance grinned at her. “It’ll be fun,” she said provocatively. “I don’t think you’ve ever brought a date to the Yule party.”

“So why start now?” Kett muttered.

“Bael.” Chance reached over and placed her hand on his, and he looked away from Kett for a moment. His queen was pretty compelling. “You must come. Tell Kett to bring you.”

He looked back at Kett, who was scowling harder. She licked a drop of sauce from her lips and he tried not to moan. “Sure,” he said. “I’d love to.”

Kett shoved back her seat abruptly, standing up, the kimono swirling around her, the tunic clinging to her body. Bael lost his breath again. “I’m done eating,” she said when they all stared at her. “Good night,” she added as a sort of afterthought.

Then she stomped from the room in a swirl of silk and annoyance. Bael started rising to his feet.

“I’ll go,” Chance said, moving faster than seemed possible. “You stay here. Dark, be nice to Miho.”

“I’m always nice,” he said, and she just laughed as she left. The king fixed Bael with his dark stare. “The women in that family are crazy,” he said. “Have you met her family?”

“I’ve hardly even met her,” Bael said honestly.

“Hah. Well, if you do, take body armor. I’m not kidding.”

“Right,” Bael said, liking Kett more and more.

***

Chance caught up with Kett as she stomped around trying to find her room again. Not that there was anything personal in it to mark it as hers. She should probably just find a bed somewhere else and sleep in it. Might get Bael off her back.

Bloody Bael! Rationally, she knew it wasn’t his fault. He didn’t know Chance was going to interrupt them, and he couldn’t help his reaction to her. It was almost genetic. She’d known men who fell into swoons after a mere smile from the beauteous Chance.

“Kett, wait.”

“Speak of the devil.” Kett narrowed her eyes and carried on walking. Well, limping. Fucking leg.

“Are you all right?”

“Five by five.”

“No, you’re about two by three. And the three’s for your leg.”

Kett scowled at her. Chance remained unmoved.

“He’s cute,” she said.

Kett shrugged.

“What are you so pissed off about?”

She stopped, squeezed her eyes shut. Nothing she had any reason to be pissed off about. “Nothing,” she said. “I’m just…cranky.”

Chance touched her arm, and Kett knew she was trying to weigh up the spell. Well, that wasn’t helping with the crankiness. Being trapped in one skin was maddening. How did other people manage it their whole lives?

“Can you lift it?” she asked.

Chance frowned. “No. I…you know I’m still learning. Striker might be able to.”

Kett snorted.

“Okay, he will be able to. Whether or not you can talk him into it, I don’t know.”

“I owe him enough already. I’ll think of something else,” Kett said.

Chance started to say something, hesitated, then said, “It’s suppressing your shifting powers, isn’t it?”

Kett nodded and started walking again. She didn’t ask how Chance knew-for one thing, Chance knew a lot of things without being told, and for another, it had been a long time since she’d appeared in public with all her scars showing.

Of course, the nakedness hadn’t helped with that.

“And you don’t have any idea who did it?”

“Nope.”

“Or why?”

“No, I think I have a handle on the why. You want to keep a shapeshifter in chains, you stop her shifting.”

“Chains? We’re not talking the fun, kinky kind of chains here, are we?”

“No.” Kett chewed her own lip. “I need a smoke.”

“Thought you’d given up?”

“I gave up cigarettes. I need a cigar.”

Chance was quiet as they walked a little farther, then she said, “Kett, what the fuck happened?”

Kett sighed. “I don’t know. I really don’t.”

Chance frowned, but she didn’t press it. “How’s your leg?”

“Five by-” She saw Chance’s face and amended, “Better.”

“You need anything, give me a yell,” Chance said. She pointed to a door. “Think this is yours.”

“Cheers.”

Chance nodded and backed down the corridor. “And Bael really is cute. Fancies the pants off you too.”

“Right,” Kett said, knowing when she was being consoled.

“Have some sex. Really. It’s good for you.” Chance winked as she disappeared around a corner.

“I had no idea,” Kett said sourly, pushing the door open and coming face-to-face with Bael. Well, face to chest, really. He was lounging on the bed, magnificently bare-chested, wearing only the loose pants he’d had on under his robe.

Kett bit her lip to keep her mouth closed as she took him in. Good heavens. Sweet, merciful fuck.

Clearly, she hadn’t been paying attention before.

Bael had wonderful golden skin, a light dusting of hair and the most marvelous musculature she’d seen outside of the army. Or in it, come to think. Really beautifully defined chest, narrow waist, the sort of tight stomach that came from hours of hard exercise. Fabulous arms. Strong biceps and, even better, wonderful forearms. Sword- fighting, bow-pulling forearms.

Last night’s frantic sex in the woods had been too hurried, and too dark, to make out any details. This afternoon she’d been too preoccupied with the throbbing pain in her leg to notice anything. But now she could see