Volarn Chronicles I: Love’s Captive

Volarn Chronicles I:

by

Myra Nour

© Copyright by Myra Nour, May 2012

© Cover Art by Eliza Black, May 2012

© Original Copyright, May 2001

Reissued, March 2004

ISBN 978-1-60394-693-3

New Concepts Publishing

Lake Park, GA 31636

www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

"So, you may dance for me one day." He leaned close to her. "Maybe

tonight?" His ardent look devoured her face before slipping down to flick her

whole body with his lustful gaze.

She gave him a sullen look, still angry about Szafra and his reaction to her.

Serena's stiff manner and coldly turned shoulder didn't deter him a bit from

his attention to her. Rhamus continued to eye her roguishly. He grabbed her

hand and idly stroked it in spite of her attempts to pull it out of his grasp,

completely ignoring her pouty mood. Instead, he appeared to thoroughly

enjoy the rest of the entertainment.

"Will you dance for me?" He asked again, humor edging his voice.

They had retired for the night, Serena walking quickly ahead to reach their

bedroom first. He guessed she had other thoughts on her mind when she

slammed the door in his face.

"Maybe on your grave," she mumbled between gritted teeth as she began to

jerk pins out of her perfectly coifed hair.

"I knew you were angry about something," he paused at her loud "hmph",

"But I didn't think it warranted such grave lengths."

Turning quickly to stare at him, Serena was embarrassed that Rhamus had

overheard her low-pitched remark. Seeing his grinning countenance, she

snatched the earrings from her lobes, and quickly swallowed her chagrin.

She decided it was good he had heard her. He took her feelings far too

lightly, which made her furious.

By the time she had undone all the twists in her hair and removed her

jewelry, Serena saw in the mirror that Rhamus had already disrobed. She

felt his approach behind her without needing to see him in the glass.

He placed a hand on the buttons at the back of the dress. "Need some

help?"

Jerking from his grasp, she turned abruptly to face her husband. "No, I do

not need your assistance." Her eyes flashed. "Maybe you should go offer

your help to Szafra."

"Maybe it's not Szafra I wish to make love to." He placed his iron-hard arms

about her waist and leaned to kiss her.

Serena pushed free of his arms. "Well, maybe you'd better reconsider,

because you will be getting no 'loving' from me…." She purposely left her

sentence hanging, conveying clearly to her mate that she meant tonight and

maybe more to come.

If she’d known Rhamus long enough to read the signs, she would have seen

that he was becoming angry. He stood calmly, his eyes almost frosty in their

perusal of her.

"I do not wish to have sex with Szafra or any other woman, but with my

wife."

He started toward her, a steely look on his face that finally warned her, but

to no avail; her temper was fanned too hot to control at this point. "Woman!

You make it sound as if a wife were not a woman," Serena sneered.

At any other time Rhamus would have found Serena's remark silly and

amusing. Now it only irritated him. He followed her across the expanse of

the room as she backed away from him, picking up his stride as he saw her

intention to lock herself in the bathroom. Catching her shoulders, he

slammed her lightly into the wall near the bathroom door and held her there.

She was steaming now. How dare he hold her like that! The cold wall ground

into her soft back with his forceful pressure. Serena forgot all about her

skills as a fighter. She slapped at Rhamus, fighting for the first time in her

life like a woman. Too late, she realized her mistake as her weak blows went

unnoticed. He clamped both his arms around her and squeezed until she quit

struggling.

"Are you going to let me help you off with that gown, or do I have to take it

off the hard way?" His face filled her vision, his eyes flashing strangely. One

minute his eyes looked cool as the ice of a glacier, the next, hot as the

flames that seemed to leap from them and lick her body with their heat.

"You wouldn't dare!" Serena's mouth was set rigid with disapproval.

Not taking his eyes from hers for a second, he freed one of his hands and,

placing it at her bodice, pulled in one swift tug. Before she could react, the

silky material ripped at the back as buttons popped loose. Rhamus' eyes

were glued to her breasts as they bounced free of their confinement. He

deliberately brought his gaze slowly up her neck, reaching her eyes. He let

her see the heat of desire that burned within them.

Serena didn't let a flicker of emotion flare in her eyes as she abruptly

brought her fist up and gave Rhamus a jab to the chin. Not as effective as

she'd like, considering the short space between them. Expecting him to get

angry, as she wanted, she was taken aback when his countenance didn't

change expression one bit.

He grabbed her free hand and brought it to lie flat against the wall. Pressing

into her, he made her feel the pressure of being caught between the hard

stone and his rock hard body. She didn't know which felt harder.

"Didn't you know, my jicha, that a little tussling before sex just gets a

warrior's blood hotter?" His deep voice washed over her, making his male