Page 57 of Midnight Shadow

He moved down the stone walkway, continuing to scan the garden for her. Near the back wall something colorful caught his eye, a single rose, almost buried in the weeds. The rosebush had somehow managed to poke one of its branches out through the tangle of weeds, and one small bud was displayed proudly atop the stem, its petals yet unopened.

Terran stared at it for a long moment. Then something moved just to the right of the rose. The weeds had made a shelter, a cave of sorts. Vines grew down the wall and stretched over an old bench. In the sheltered, weedy cave, Terran could make out a head of dark hair. Bria’s hair.

Was she hiding? Was she that fearful of him, of her new home?

Terran stepped closer, but she didn’t move. “Bria,” he called. She wasn’t moving. Was she hurt?

Terran bent down before the strange shelter to look inside at his bride. She was nestled in the weeds, her knees pulled up gently, her hand up near her face, her head lying on a cushioned bed of moss. “Bria?” Terran crawled into the shelter. She shifted her head slightly, and Terran saw she was sleeping.

Terran stared at her, dumbfounded. Why would she choose to sleep here, alone and unprotected? Why wouldn’t she come into the castle?

He ducked his head beneath the canopy of vines. He reached for her, but stopped suddenly as his eyes traveled to her face. Her long dark lashes rested against her ivory skin, her cheeks were tinted a luminescent pink, and her lips were full and red and parted.

He was transfixed by her beauty and could do nothing but gaze upon her perfection.

“M’lord?”

With a silent curse at Kenric for disturbing this moment, Terran leaned forward and gently brushed Bria’s lips with his before he scooped her up into his arms, pulling her close against his chest.

She stirred and Terran whispered soothing words to her. Bria sighed and settled down once again, resting her cheek against his shoulder.

Terran moved through the garden toward the castle door, passing Kenric without uttering a word. He brought Bria to his room and gently laid her on his bed. She stretched a little, opening her eyes just enough to give him a teasing glimpse of their brilliance, then turned over and went back to sleep.

Terran pulled a warm cover over her body. Then he sat in a chair and stared at his wife. Wife. The word took on a powerful, potent meaning.

Somehow through her defiance and stubbornness, Bria had worked magic on him. She was his wife in more than just name, and all he wanted was to make her his wife in every way.

Chapter twenty-six

Warmth splashed across Bria’s eyes. Light burned into her lids even though they were closed. She turned away and stretched. The warmth of her bed was luxurious. She almost hated to open her eyes and greet the new morning. Reluctantly, she peeked out at the day.

The sight that greeted her caused her to sit up and clutch the blanket to her breast. Terran Knowles sat in a chair near the bed, his eyes trained on her.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded of Terran. “How did you get into my room?” But her voice died as she looked around. The window was in the wrong spot. The small table against the far wall that was littered with her collection of doves wasn’t there. In one comer of the room hung a large tapestry she’d never seen before, depicting a richly colorful tournament, the jousting pole of one knight skewering the chest of his opponent.

She was not in her room. The last thing she remembered was returning to the castle and ducking into the garden as she tried to avoid the guards.

“You are in our room,” Terran softly corrected her.

Bria gripped the blanket tightly as the previous day’s events came back to her. “I am your wife,” she whispered.

“A disobedient wife,” Terran growled.

Bria scowled. Yes, that was right. He’d gone with another woman on their wedding night. Not that I wanted him to come to me, she told herself, knowing it was a lie. But I certainly didn’t want him to be with another woman. She bit her lip and looked away from him, trying to hide her disapproval.

“Why did you run away from Kenric?”

At Kenric’s name, Bria’s eyes snapped up to Terran’s. “I didn’t feel it was Kenric’s place to escort me to my new home.”

“So now you see fit to tell me how my castle should be run.”

Bria’s scowl deepened and she looked away again.

Suddenly, he was beside the bed, her chin in his palm. He lifted her chin until she was looking into his eyes. “I will not have lies between us,” he said.

“Even if I would be punished for speaking the truth?” she asked.

He dropped his hand. Suspicion flared in his black eyes. “Is there something I would punish you for?”