Today’s tease comes from the book Tempted by a Rogue Prince, which is the third book in my popular Eternal Mates romance series. Read on for this Tuesday’s tease…

Rosalind sat in the corner of her cell, staring blankly at the wall opposite her, her focus turned away from herself and her surroundings. She had fixed it on the man when the guards had dragged her back to her cell and dumped her into it, leaving her to curl up on the cold stone floor and fight the pain pulling her to pieces. Threatening to shatter her completely.

The moment she had thought about him, some of that pain had faded. He kept it at bay together with her fear. She didn’t know how, or what power he had that allowed him to do such a thing, and she didn’t care. All she cared about was shutting out the pain while she healed and the memories of the whip. She flinched away from thoughts of it and focused on the man again.

He was handsome, despite his gaunt appearance. His tall body was too lean, as if ravaged by hunger, leaving his bones on display beneath his dirty skin, but there was strength there still, a hint that he would outshine the incubus if he fed and put on muscle and fat again.

But he also held darkness within him that outshone the darkness in any male she had met before him, even the cruel demon king of this realm. He was violent and dangerous. A wild beast in the form of a man.

And the whole cellblock had heard it during her punishment.

The thunderous bellows of rage that had echoed around the dungeon as the guards had cut her back to ribbons with the whip had been his. He had gone into some sort of rage. Because of her?

Her last moments with him offered her little in the way of understanding him. He had snarled ‘witch’ at her as if it were a curse word, and the vilest one available to him.

She hadn’t liked how he had looked at her either, cold and detached, yet calculating, as if he had been plotting terrible, painful things for her. Things far worse than the guards had done. There had been a wildness in his steel-blue eyes, a dark malevolence that promised pain and suffering. But all the while his expression had remained calm, placid, and unreadable. Only his eyes and his aura had given away his dark intentions. The steady current of danger he constantly radiated had reached startling heights and her magic had wanted to rise to protect her.

She had wanted to run from him and never look back.

But when the guards had come to take her, he had been a different man. He had turned all of that violence and darkness on the demons instead, and had looked at her with eyes that left her feeling he had wanted to protect her.

Mother earth, the whole affair confused the hell out of her, but she did feel certain of one thing.
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Snippet Saturday is brought to you today by Tempted by a Rogue Prince, which is the third book in my popular Eternal Mates romance series. Read on for this Saturday’s snippet…

Pain. It tore at him. Shredded his flesh. Smashed his bones. Devoured his soul. Blood. He needed it. Ached for it. Hungered. Darkness. It consumed him.

A floral scent swept around him, invading his senses, driving back the darkness and the agony. Nature. He was somewhere green and verdant, beautiful and soothing. He could see it in his buzzing mind, and could see it for himself if he could just get his eyes open.

He yearned to run his fingers through the tall meadow grass. He longed to lift the wild blooms to his nose and inhale their delicate fragrance. He needed to lay beneath the mighty oak and let the dappled sunlight play across his tired body as the melody of the branches swaying filled his mind. He wanted to breathe deep of it all and let it fill his soul with light.

Vail forced his eyes open, filled with a hunger to see the nature that brought with it such a sweet, enticing scent.

Black stone greeted his eyes. The rank odour of mould overshadowed the soft floral fragrance.

A dream?

Had he been dreaming of nature, a fantasy so real that it had crossed over into reality? He couldn’t recall the last time he had dreamed. Nightmares were his constant companion. Never dreams.

But there was no nature in his dark damp cell. No sunshine. No flowers. No meadow grass.

No beauty.

“You’re awake.” The voice was female, edged with a quaver that spoke of fear, and a sense of familiarity.

He shifted his eyes down to her. Beauty and nature stood over him and he saw blue skies in her eyes and sunshine in the spun gold of her hair. A faint scent of wild roses clung to her. He didn’t remember her, or did he? It was hazy. Her face seemed familiar.

“Remain still,” she said and he complied only because he wasn’t sure he could move, not even to snap her neck or tear her throat out with his fangs.

Why would he do such a thing to the delicate little wild rose?
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