Chapter 14

FOURTEEN

Pyre

Tempest's scent was killing him.

Every breath he inhaled made the primal side of himself roll beneath his skin. He was simultaneously drawn closer to her and repelled at the same time. The intoxicating smell of pine needles, mint, and female made his mouth water, but it was the scent of the dragon and Chesh that sent him almost to the edge of a frenzied madness he could barely suppress. The fingers of his left hand drummed along the arm of the chair as he tried to breathe only through his mouth. Why had he thought it would be a good idea to be in such close quarters with her?

Because she's never affected you this way before.

He scowled and glared at the fireplace. What was his problem? His control was legendary.

And then there was the way she looked…

Pyre glanced at Tempest from the corner of his eye. Her hair was a wild, wavy mess around her face and tumbled down her back. The blanket she'd been using as a cloak had slipped off her right shoulder, revealing pale, creamy skin. Skin he wanted to lick and bite.

He grunted and took another sip of the fire whiskey, savoring the burn. Tempest shifted in her chair, the blanket slipping farther, so he got a better look at her form beneath the silken nightgown. It was modest and covered more than most of the dresses women wore to court, and yet… It clung to every curve of her, exaggerating the lines of her body in such a way that it almost felt indecent. Pyre was struck by his desire to toss the young woman over his shoulder, take her to some white-columned temple, and worship her in every way he could think of.

And she had no clue.

Women were his favorite creatures roaming the world. He'd spent years in their company and had come to know when a woman was truly unaware of her beauty. Tempest was clueless. He pursed his lips and appreciated the way the fire illuminated her luxurious, periwinkle hair, turning it into seemingly magical flames. Her uncles should be ashamed of themselves for not taking more care of their most prized possession. They'd allowed her to enter the Jester's lair, and she was a lamb among wolves.

She brushed a wayward lock from her face and gazed at the fire, oblivious to his staring.

Or she's pointedly ignoring you.

It was most likely the latter. He knew she rarely missed anything. Despite this, he wanted to touch her. Wanted to bury his nose in her hair and drink her in, run his lips along her graceful throat .

Resist the urge. Just behave yourself. She's the enemy.

He squeezed the glass in his right hand and forced himself to stop dwelling on things that could never happen. Plus, he needed to deal with the proverbial storm cloud hanging over her. She was angry with him and rightfully so, which was the best way for him to keep her at arm's length. He had to keep the Hound on her toes—wondering what his next move would be—and she could not get closer to him. Things couldn't change between them . It was risky giving her more knowledge than necessary. Tempest was unpredictable.

The incident where she embraced him at the cottage still haunted him. One moment had changed him. What would happen if he allowed her even closer?

She tasted of salvation, but the female would destroy him and everything he'd built.

Pyre downed the rest of the whiskey in one long draught, eyeing Tempest carefully as she watched the flames in the hearth. He smirked when she set the glass aside, leaving spirits in the glass. She was a suspicious one and had caught on to his game. He'd hoped to loosen her up, but she wasn't taking the bait. Smart girl.

He glanced down at his own glass and gazed longingly into the empty bottom, wishing there was more. The stuff was delicious, but he wasn't dumb enough to imbibe. He'd been drunk exactly once in his lifetime and would never go that far again. He liked control, and too many spirits stole any semblance of that. It wasn't worth it.

"Tea?" he asked softly, pushing out of his chair and holding his hand out for Tempest's glass.

"I suppose," she said without looking at him.

Stubborn woman. After the bloody nose and tongue-lashing she'd given him, the female had gone oddly silent, not saying more than three words to him at a time. He didn't like it. Not one bit.

Pyre placed their cups on his desk and moved back to the hearth, busying himself with pouring tea into two cups painted with gold leaf and a bright-cerulean blue dye. He added a spoonful of honey to his own cup. As a child, they were too poor to have sweets. Now that he could afford them, he realized he liked sweet things. His gaze darted to Tempest.

And spicy things.

He huffed out a breath and gestured to the honey pot.

She shook her head. "I don't like it sweet. I'm surprised that you do."

"Not sure what that is supposed to mean." He shrugged and then winked at her, which caused the prickly female to scowl. "There is a lot you do not know about me."

He held out her cup of tea, and she took it from him, this time pointedly not touching his fingers. Pyre hid his smile. So, she felt it too. When they touched, it lit him up. He straightened and moved back to his chair and sat. They drank in silence, sipping at the scalding tea far slower than the spirits.

Her scent swirled around him, and he grimaced at the metallic scent of dragon bleeding through her own pleasant scent. It set his teeth on edge. He could tolerate Chesh's trespass. The Hinterland mischief-maker was always messing with him, but the dragon was something else. His scent marking was blatantly disrespectful of the scents Tempest already carried.

The silence stretched on.

He couldn't handle it anymore .

"I'm sorry about your journey," he said. "It wasn't supposed to be like that." Them being attacked, at least.

Tempest's gaze moved from the fire and met his. Her lovely eyes were troubled and stormy. "Who were those people? The ones in the forest and the ones who brought us here?"

A pause. His soldiers. "I think you know who they are."

Her lips thinned against the rim of her teacup. "I imagine you're gathering allies. But who are they? It's one thing for me to know you and Nyx and Briggs and Brine. It's another entirely for you to expect me to work alongside brigands and murderers."

Pyre did not reply. It was war. War wasn't pretty. It was dark, gritty, and deadly. There wasn't room for valiant heroes, only men and women who got the job done. Destin needed to be removed from the throne at all costs. He shrugged, knowing anything else he said would only anger her.

Instead, he redirected the conversation. "Did you manage to retrieve anything from the smuggler?"

She froze and then nodded slowly. "I did."

"Do you have it?" he asked, amused that she'd let him change the subject so easily.

Tempest released her blanket, and he swallowed as she bent over to riffle through her bag. He cursed underneath his breath as her nightgown gaped, and he was rewarded with a glimpse of more flawless skin. Pyre dropped his gaze to her feet, feeling like a complete rogue. He'd never been ashamed to look at a woman before. Why now?

She fumbled through her satchel, and, after a few moments, pulled out a familiar wooden box. "This," she said, unceremoniously thrusting it at Pyre. "I hope me almost being sold off was worth it. "

"Oh, it is." He pulled the box from her fingers and brushed his right hand across the smooth surface. Pyre ran his fingers along all the joints and edges. It hadn't been tampered with. He flicked a glance at the female and then back to the box. She hadn't tried to open it. How unexpected.

"What is it?"

"Something special." He didn't elaborate further.

The Hound huffed and pulled the blanket closer, hiding her from his gaze. "When am I leaving this place?"

The frankness of her question caused him to laugh. "So eager to leave, aren't you? You're under orders from Destin to infiltrate my rebels, are you not?"

She slumped her shoulders and returned her gaze to the fire. His lips twitched at the grumpy expression on her face. Her lips pursed, and she schooled her expression, her feelings masked from him. His hands clenched on the box. He didn't like Tempest hiding from him.

Look at me.

"Those are my instructions from my sovereign," she murmured. "Which you are not. I do not belong to you, nor do I work for you. I'm tired of being ordered around with no explanation."

His face softened. He knew exactly how Tempest felt, yet there was nothing to be done for it. They were both in an impossible situation. Uneasy allies.

"Stay here for a while, Temp. Make yourself at home here. Feel free to explore the place and go wherever you like. You're not a prisoner here, but in the next few weeks, I'll need your help if you're willing to give it."

"Doing what?"

"Any number of things. "

"I'll not kill for you," she said resolutely.

"I haven't asked you to," he responded.

Tempest snorted. "It's only a matter of time. I know what your type are like."

"My type?" he asked, a little bit annoyed.

She faced him fully and stared him down. "The power-hungry type. I stare at one every day I'm summoned in the palace."

Rage, hot and fast, exploded in his gut. He leaned out of his chair, his lip curling and a growl rumbling in his chest. "I am nothing like him."

The stupid female didn't even have the brains to blanch. He was a hair's breadth away from shifting. She arched a brow and leaned forward so they were breathing the same air.

"Prove it."

He blinked slowly, and, despite the rage churning just below the surface, Pyre smiled. "I like challenges." He glanced at her mouth as her lips twitched. "I need you to come with me to a ball."

"You mean a masquerade?" she drawled.

She missed nothing.

He gave her one of his charming smiles. "A party is just what everyone needs right now," Pyre explained. "We need to reduce the tension and ensure continued goodwill between the factions as much as possible. We must keep up a united front against Destin." And it made for the perfect cover for what he had planned that night.

Tempest teetered her head back and forth, and then pointed at the box in Pyre's hands. "What's in the box?"

She wasn't letting it go. He hid his grin, and, with deft fingers, made quick work of the puzzle that protected the contents from the wrong hands. He lifted the lid and pulled out the delicate mask he'd had commissioned. A wolf.

"Are you serious?" she exclaimed, affronted. "I risked my life for some trinket? Why was Chesh so adamant that I not open it? It's a bloody mask, for Dotae's sake!"

"Ah, Temp, it was not the mask that was important," Pyre replied, shaking his head good-naturedly. He held up the box for Tempest to inspect, pointing out a mechanism on the latch. "If you had tampered with it—tried to open it without knowing the precise solution to the puzzle—the box would have released a poison that would have killed you within four hours."

She stiffened. "So, all of this was—"

"A test of your trustworthiness," Pyre said. Tempest began trembling as he set the box on the floor and leaned back in his chair. "Be mad at me all you want; I had to do it. And I have no qualms about telling you how happy I am that you passed." He was relieved, in fact.

"You are unbelievable ," the Hound hissed. She sucked in a breath and stood.

Here it comes.

A knock upon the door stilled her.

He glanced at the door as Nyx glided into the room, followed by Briggs, who paused in the doorway.

"Out of my chair," his sister demanded.

"My lady," he said sarcastically, standing. Nyx flopped into his chair. "Make yourself at home." He let out a huff of indignation, then moved over to the doorway where Briggs hovered.

"Tempest," Nyx said warmly. "It is great to see you. You were not hurt on the road, were you? "

She shook her head. "Brine and Swiftly weren't so fortunate, though."

Nyx laughed lightly. "They will be fine. I've tended to their wounds myself. How have you been doing?"

"Oh, same old, same old. Trying not to get caught for being a traitor and being hanged. The usual."

Pyre rolled his eyes and left the two females in his study. Briggs followed him and closed the door behind them. Pyre moved down the hallway, his friend shadowing every step.

"Any word of anyone following Tempest here?"

Briggs bent low to reply. "Brine kept everyone off their trail. It's clear Destin sent other Hounds after Tempest. Presumably to infiltrate your court."

Pyre let out an arrogant grunt. "They could try, for sure. Oh, they could try."

They would fail. He'd make sure of it.