He still looked pissed.

I bit my lip.

This made him look more pissed.

I stopped biting my lip.

His eyes dropped to Ghost and he looked even more pissed.

What on earth?

He looked back at me and ordered tersely, “Rise, wife, and come to me.”

I didn’t want to, mainly because he looked pissed, but I did. I gave Ghost’s head a rub, straightened and walked to him.

I stopped a few inches away.

“Put your hands on me,” he commanded and I felt it prudent in the face of his continued anger to keep quiet and do what he said so I lifted my hands and rested them on his chest.

The minute they touched, his hands came up and, as they did earlier, they clamped on either side of my jaw but this time he pulled me roughly in and up so I was on my toes as he bent toward me.

“No one,” he ground out, his eyes an inch from my own, “no one touches my queen.”

“Okay, baby,” I whispered.

“No one threatens her with steel.” He kept grinding out his words between his teeth.

My hands drifted up to his neck. “All right,” I said softly.

“No one betrays her,” he kept going. “No one and especially not one she’s shown generosity and kindness, who has felt her golden touch.”

I nodded as best I could with his hands on me. “Yes, honey.”

He scowled into my face. Then he asked, “You have no words for the collaborator?”

“I…” I started, shook my head, again as best I could with his hands on me, then went on. “Honey, I promised you before you left that I wouldn’t again question who you are and what you do and I’m keeping that promise.” His burning eyes didn’t leave mine and I continued. “It’s hard, of course, because, you know me, I have something to say about every –”

I didn’t finish. His hands left my jaw, his arms locked around me, one hand at the back of my head, he tilted it to the side, slanted his the other way and his mouth crushed down on mine.

I held onto his neck as his mouth and tongue took their fill and then he tore his lips from mine. Then he shoved my face in his chest, I turned it so my cheek was pressed there and I pushed my hands under his arms and wrapped them around him.

“You came home early,” I noted (a little breathlessly) in order to take our conversation to the mundane.

“Zahnin says you felled a Maroo,” Lahn returned, not, obviously, in the mood for mundane.

“Tee…” I hesitated then went on cautiously, “she knew the attack was imminent and left my dagger that Bohtan gave me out for me. I had a moment to prepare.”

“That kut* did not save your life, Circe, Zahnin, Bain, Ghost and you did,” he growled on a squeeze of his arms. “I’ll listen to no talk of her giving you a moment to prepare.”

“Uh… okay,” I whispered.

Another mental note, don’t mention Teetru around Lahn either.

He was silent. This lasted awhile.

Then he said quietly, “I give thanks to my god you are warrior.”

I nodded. I gave it to mine too, on several occasions the last few hours. I had no idea I had it in me but I sure as hell was glad I did.

Then he went on. “And I give more thanks you hold magic. As you were battling, your lightning filled the sky. Warriors and everyone in the Daxshee knew the lightning storm was not natural but something to do with their queen. This gave warning and meant the traitor did not escape and other Maroo warriors lying in wait for the return of their brethren were also captured.”

Whoa.

Wow.

I didn’t know that. Any of it.

“Yes, magic is good,” I agreed, the light pressure he was exerting on my head relaxed and I tilted it back to look at him. Then I changed the subject. “Why are you home early?”

“Early this morning, we had a messenger from Keenhak. Keenhak spies close to the Maroo king heard of the plot and came to me. This decision was smart. They build alliances while Maroo seeks to end the Golden Dynasty. Keenhak will be rewarded for this act.” I nodded and he finished. “We rode hard to return to the Daxshee but we were too late.”

“I’m okay,” I said quietly.

“All day, I rode blind, the only thing I saw, visions of my golden queen covered in blood.”

Oh God. That had to suck.

“I’m okay,” I repeated.

“And I ride into the Daxshee only to see you covered in blood.”

My arms gave him a squeeze. “Honey, I’m okay. ”

“I can see that and feel it, my doe, but I do not care. Vengeance –”

I pulled an arm from around him and lifted my hand to touch my fingers to his mouth.

“I know, Lahn. Rivers of blood. I know. It freaks me out and scares me and I don’t want you or anyone to be hurt but I know.

This is what you must do. So you will do it but now can I ask a favor and can you be quiet for just long enough so that I can give you a welcome home kiss to add to your, ‘thank God my golden queen is all right’ kiss? Then you can rant all you want about vengeance.”

He stared down at me. Then he said against my fingers, “Remove your fingers, Circe, you can hardly kiss me with your hand over my mouth.”

I smiled up at him as my body relaxed in his arms and I moved my hand. Then I went up on tiptoe, he bent his neck and I gave my husband a welcome home kiss that was, I was guessing, pretty damned good. I guessed this because he lifted me up in the middle

of it, my legs wrapped around his hips and he strode to the bed and I went down, him on top of me.

Ghost growled with irritation and jumped off her perch.