“Rules?”

“Aye.” He tugged her until she grudgingly knelt down in front of him. “So that you feel more comfortable.”

She watched him with narrow eyes, but she did relax a tiny bit. “All right.”

“If there’s anything you don’t want me to do when we’re together . . . say no.”

She stared at him for a long time, then shook her head. “That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“All I have to do is say no?”

“Aye. You say no . . . and I stop.”

“That sounds very odd to me.”

“Why?” He leaned over and gently kissed her neck.

“I . . . I don’t know. It just does.”

He kissed a spot under her ear. “Let me explain it to you this way—You say ‘don’t,’ I will. If you say ‘stop,’ I won’t. If you really want me to stop, you’ll have to say ‘no.’” While keeping a tight rein on her left wrist with one hand, he used the other to wrap around her waist and pull her closer to him. “You can beg me, Rhiannon. Beg and plead for me to stop, and I won’t. Because between us, there will be only one word that will stop me. And it’s ‘no.’Now do you understand?”

Her body melted against his, her head tipping so he had better access to her neck. “Aye. I understand.”

“Good.” He slapped her ass. “Now you should go to bed.”

It took her a moment, but suddenly she pulled away from him. “What?”

“To bed, love. You look exhausted. I’ve fixed a place for you down the cavern and to the left. It has a bed and everything. Until you can shift back to dragon, no floors for you.”

As hard as it was, he pushed her away and stood up, dragging her with him. “Besides, tomorrow we travel into Kerezik.”

A bit dazed, she pulled herself up. “Why?”

He didn’t want to answer that, at least not honestly, so he dragged his hand along her cheek. “Are you all right? You look a bit . . . ow!”

She punched him. Right in the face. And the female had a right hook that could destroy the jaw of a strong human male.

“What the hell was that for?”

“You play games with the wrong female, Low Born,” she snarled. She walked away from him, her robes swirling around her. “Do you think I’m like one of those stupid whores you had here before? Do you think you can toy with me?”

Rubbing his jaw, he looked at her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Liar. You know exactly what I’m talking about. You hope to leave me wet and wanting so that I’ll come begging for your affections like some dog looking for food.”

Damn. She was right on that. He was.

He stepped toward her. “Rhiannon . . .”

“No. Say nothing,” she growled.

His eyes narrowed. Why was she so angry? Angrier than he’d expect since she figured him out quick enough.

Of course, it could be . . .

“Are you already wet for me, Rhiannon?” She turned on him like a coiled snake. “What?”

“You heard me, Princess.” He walked toward her and immediately she stumbled back away from him. “If I put my hand on your pu**y right this second, will it be dry like the deserts of Alsandair or wet and desperate like the Kennis River?”

She slammed into the far wall and immediately Bercelak placed his hands on either side of her head, caging her in. She looked caged in, too. Like a wild animal about to snap.

“Perhaps I should find out.”

“Get away from me, Low Born!”

“Now, Rhiannon,” he gently admonished as he used one hand to yank off the belt holding her robe together, “you know those aren’t the right words.”

She was gorgeously naked underneath. Bercelak placed his hand against her breast and squeezed before moving down her body, past her hips, only to slip his fingers between her trembling thighs.

“Wait.”

“Still not right,” he muttered low, unable to turn away from the sight of his hand disappearing between her legs. As soon as two of his fingers slid inside her they both let out a low moan.

So wet and hot. Like a volcano. Just thinking of having his c**k buried there for several days or years was making him shake like a young one.

He started shafting her with his fingers and she groaned in response, her eyes shut and her teeth biting into her bottom lip. Leaning in close he kissed her cheek and couldn’t help but mutter, “Mine, Rhiannon. You’re mine.”

And that’s when he felt her claws slash across his face.

Yanking his hand out of her and away, he stumbled back. He could feel and smell the blood dripping down his jaw.

“I belong to no one, Low Born. And if you hope to trap me with this game, you are sadly mistaken.”

He didn’t even wipe the blood away as he stared at her. As they stared at each other. Their eyes locked in silent battle.

“What are you talking about?”

“You force me into a Claiming, and I can fight you with the Elders. And we both know it.” Aye. He did know that. “But if I let you willingly take me . . . f**k me . . . I have very little room to argue, now do I?”

She pulled her robe together and knotted the tie around it. “You’ll have to work a little harder than that, Bercelak the Vengeful, to ever hope of Claiming me.”

Rhiannon walked past him, her shoulder brushing his as she stalked out. “I will be Claimed by no one, Low Born,” she said over her shoulder. “But especially not by you.”