He walked away from her, his back to her, his hands resting on his hips. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled around them. Briec took huge gulps of air as if he’d run for leagues. For a moment, she thought he’d leave her in this forest—panting from the passion of that kiss. Leave her and all her damn secrets behind.

She wouldn’t blame him, it was the smart thing to do.

“Let us be off, brother,” Gwenvael called from the clearing.

“Aye,” he called back.

He still hadn’t turned to face her, but he spoke to her nonetheless. “When we get back, we’ll finish this discussion.”

“Is that what dragons call that…a discussion?”

Violet eyes glared at her over those big shoulders. “Don’t push me, woman. Not now.”

But she did want to push him. She wanted to push him until he took her, until he f**ked her raw and left her unable to even beg for more.

She shook her head as she followed behind him. Nay. That’s not normal, Talaith.

Chapter Nine

Briec followed her deep into his brother’s cave. The storms had started again before they’d barely taken to the air. It had been a hard, frightening ride as lightning lashed at them and rain poured onto them from the heavens as if the gods were pushing them back to the safety of Gwenvael’s cave. Yet he’d barely noticed. Not with Talaith’s thighs gripping his neck and her hands tangled tight in his hair. As usual, she squealed all the way back to the cave, but he could barely hear her over the raging winds.

Once they’d made it safely inside, she’d slid off his back without assistance and stormed off. As if she had a reason to be angry. He wasn’t the one hiding anything. Truly, he’d been honest to the point of blunt.

“What’s going on with you two?” Gwenvael questioned, sitting back on his haunches.

“Nothing.”

“You’re lying, Briec.”

He wasn’t lying. As far as he was concerned, until he was balls-deep inside that woman, nothing was going on. But he was ready to change that. Right now.

“I’m not lying. Leave it be.”

“Oi.” Éibhear stood beside the cave entrance, staring out at the pouring rain. “Anyone else a little concerned about this weather?”

Gwenvael and Briec rolled their eyes together, but Gwenvael said, “Uh-oh. Baby brother is concerned with the angry weather. It must mean something dire.”

Éibhear snarled, his silver eyes glaring at their gold brother. “You can both rot in hell.”

Leaving his siblings to their argument, which would probably last a good while, Briec went in search of Talaith. They had much to discuss.

He went to the alcove she’d been using as her bedroom. Each night since they’d been here, she’d gone to bed alone. And each night he’d slept outside her room, feeling this overwhelming need to keep her safe. It had been absolute hell, too. The woman moaned in her sleep. At first, he thought her in pain, so he’d rushed to her side, only to see her hands beneath the covers. He quickly realized she pleasured herself in her sleep.

Not getting into bed and taking up where her hand left off had been one of the hardest things he’d ever done. Somehow, though, he kept the promise he made himself to have this woman. But he’d have her awake and begging.

Her room now stood empty, so he continued on farther into the cave, following her scent. As her scent became stronger, his dragon body tightened in anticipation, realizing where she’d disappeared to.

He finally stood outside the cavern filled with hot springs. She’d been using this place every night to bathe. Apparently that was her current plan. He silently watched her as she untied the bodice of her dress, sighing as the tight material loosened around her flesh. She’d just started to peel the dress off her shoulders when she abruptly stopped, her entire back snapping straight.

Holding the dress up in front of her, she slowly turned and glared at him. “Can I not get five minutes to myself?” she spit out between clenched teeth.

“Not when you’re hiding something from me.”

Briec walked into the cavern and, using an old trick his mother once taught him, sealed off the cavern entrance. It was a parlor trick. It only looked as if stone blocked the way, but it was effective and powerful. His brothers would never be able to find them unless they went to Morfyd for help. Last he heard, she and his eldest brother’s bitch mate were on some battlefield somewhere.

Talaith let out a trembling breath when she realized he’d cut off her only means of escape. Taking a step back, her hands still holding up her dress, she demanded, “Why did you do that?”

“I wanted some time with you alone. So we can talk.”

“About what?”

He shifted to human and took a slow step toward her while she took a slow step back. “About Madron soldiers searching for you. About a dead soldier in an alley.”

“Why they want me is none of your business.”

“It is when they tried to kill me as well.”

“Then you should have left me there.”

“Aye. I should have. They would have been dead sooner, I think.” He dragged his gaze up her body until he reached her eyes. “And the soldier in the alley?”

“He grabbed me. I was defending myself.”

Another step forward. “You could have called for help.”

Another step back. “He covered my mouth.”

“So, you…the merchant’s daughter, living the last sixteen years in a tiny little peasant village outside Madron as a dutiful wife, easily took down a well-trained soldier bent on taking you?”