Dana, they had arrived and been greeted by Zombie. The dog was always excited to see him and they had all delivered pats and tummy rubs before the happy dog had run off, leading the way to the kitchen. It was no surprise most of the house was congregated there. It was the heart of the house. But what was a surprise was hearing Dana talk about a Triumvirate. Such a word had been tossed about when he was a child, but as Dex said, Mordecai had believed them to be naught but tales. The only true goddess of their people was Mother Nature. His mind was reeling with the new information, wondering exactly what it meant for Dana when his ears pinged on the word punishment. That’s when he saw red and his protective instincts went into overdrive.
“Punishment? What the fuck do you mean punishment?” He practically shouted as he stalked into the room.
Dana’s hand flew to her chest and she gasped. “Mordecai.”
He ignored the way his name sounded on her lips, instead focusing on what Max had just revealed. “What is Max talking about, Dana?”
Dana sighed, looking suddenly exhausted. Still, she answered, “What I did that night with you – it broke all manner of rules. Rules I helped create. Rules I help maintain. And rules I help enforce.”
“Are you saying you were punished for sleeping with me?” Mordecai’s voice was incredulous.
“I …” Dana looked around at all the curious faces, snapping her mouth shut.
Growling, Mordecai strode forward and grabbed her hand. Tugging her along with him, he pulled her from the room. He mentally told his Order to stay as he walked with Dana outside, not stopping until they were standing alone on the beach. “Talk,” he commanded.
“I do not know where to start,” Dana admitted, looking a little lost and unsure.
Mordecai told himself to calm down, willing his heartrate to return to normal as he reached for patience. He hadn’t meant to go all caveman, but the thought of Dana being hurt felt like a punch to the gut. It made him feel nauseated and made him want to strip her down and look for injuries. Which was utter madness. He had only just resolved not to hate the woman. Still, there was no denying his visceral reaction to the thought of her being punished. Tugging on the hand he still had a death grip on, he urged her to sit on the sand. He winced a little as the cold sand permeated his slacks. The sun was setting and the sand, as well as the air, was very cool. Looking over at Dana, he noted she was wearing a blue loose shirt over a pair of skin-tight white pants. Although the shirt had long sleeves it wasn’t very thick, and he cursed himself for not thinking of her comfort. “Come here,” he said, gesturing her forward.
“What?” Dana squeaked as Mordecai simply plucked her up and placed her between his legs where he was sitting on the sand.
“I can’t do much about the temperature of the sand, but at least I can keep your top-half warm,” he explained as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her close so her back rested against his chest. He pulled his knees up so she was effectively cocooned, and he rested his chin on top of her head. Inhaling deeply, he felt a little lightheaded from how good she smelled. Not to mention how unbelievably soft her hair was. And then there was the softness of her breasts as they pressed against his forearms ... “Maybe this was a bad idea,” he muttered, more to himself than to Dana.
“No,” Dana was quick to reply. “It is very cold. I am much warmer now. Thank you.”
Mordecai tightened his arms a fraction before urging Dana to explain once more. “Start at the beginning.”
Dana blew out a breath, her head falling back and resting on his shoulder. Her pretty eyes peered up at him as she began to talk. “The curtain you speak so forcefully about –”
“I’m sorry about that. You were right; I had no idea what I was talking about. I was an arse,” he interrupted, still feeling fear from the word punishment and wanting so badly to make things right. For years, he had allowed his anger to lead him instead of his head. No more.
Dana squeezed his forearm, silently acknowledging his words. “Well, the veil can act as a window, it is true. But from the time