The Duke and the Dryad (Elemental Series) Read Free Page B

long that he’d started avoiding his knights when they bragged about the women they’d had and asked him about his own endeavors in exchange. What he needed was someone unusual and exciting. And while she was as worthless as the druids when it came to manual labor, at least this girl could fill one of his other manly needs.
    “I’ll take her!” He pointed at her with the tip of his sword. A gasp went up from the druids and he could hear the muffled discussion of voices behind their hands in the dark.
    “Nay,” the girl answered, shaking her head. “I am the guardian of my forest, I cannot leave here or who knows what would happen.”
    Wolf e had never heard such a pack of lies in his life. Who was this girl that she thought so highly of herself that she believed she commanded the forest? Didn’t she know who he was? She should fear him like the rest of the townsfolk. She obviously didn’t know whom she was denying. Mayhap he needed to remind her.
    “The se are my forests,” he told her, “not yours. And the only protection they need is from people like the Druids. And since I have been offered one of you in exchange for the life of my bull – I’ll take it. For now. Until I can think of something better.”
    “Choose any of us, my lord,” begged the chief druid. “Just leave Rae-Nyst, as she belongs to the forest.”
    “I don’t want any of you,” growled Wolf e. “Now I chose the girl and she’ll come with me. She doesn’t belong to the forest. For as of this night, she belongs to me – and would warm my bed.”
     
    Rae-Nyst could not believe what she’d just heard the man say. She would not warm anyone’s bed against her will. Especially Duke the Destroyer’s .
    She watched him place his sword back in the scabbard at his waist, obviously knowing these people were of no threat to him. Then he reached out, and one strong hand grabbed her wrist, his fingers wrapping around her in a tightening hold as he dragged her toward him. She could feel the heat of the flame coming closer to her skin from the torch in his opposite hand. The fire started to drain her energy and her will as well. Her head dizzied and her limbs grew weak.
    “Be careful with her ,” shouted Humphrey, jumping to his feet. The others followed suit. “Keep the flame far from her.”
    “She’s mine now and you’ll not tell me what to do with her or how to treat her again. And don’t think I’m going to leave my animal here even though ’tis dead. Sir Braden,” he called over his shoulder, “make sure the men find a way to retrieve the carcass. That’s enough meat to feed the dukedom for a sennight, though it pains me to eat it.”
    “Aye, milord,” he answered, rounding up the me n. The druids remained quiet, huddling in a circle.
    “ You cannot take her,” the head druid called out as the warrior pulled her to his horse. “’Twould not be good for the forest.”
    “Too late,” he called over his shoulder . “And the best thing for this forest is for you to leave. Now these are my lands and I want every last druid out of here come sunrise. Do you understand?”
    “But the circle of standing stones is here – on this land. It has been here for centuries, long before these lands were yours,” answered the druid.
    “Then take the damned stones with you ,” he growled, dragging her to his horse, holding the flame near her to guide her.
     
    Wolfe noticed how quiet the girl was throughout this whole ordeal. Her face seemed pale and her eyes were half-closed. She kept trying to block her face with her hand and ’twas irritating him to no end. What he needed was to get back to the castle and out of the night air. Aye, a tankard of ale and the wench to warm his bed was exactly what he needed to help ease the tension within him from this failure of a rescue.
    As he went to help the girl they’d called Rae-Nyst mount the horse, the torch in his hand neared her. Then her eyes narrowed and she swayed backward, her