Midnight's Surrender: A Dark Warriors Holiday Novella Read Online Free PDF Page A

wanted to rule the world, Rennie. He was in a war with the Warriors and Druids of MacLeod Castle.”
    “A war?” she asked with a shudder. “The Warriors and Druids banded together?”
    “They were husbands and wives. Each Warrior had taken a Druid as his own, and the combination of all of them was enough to keep Jason from winning. But Jason wouldna relent. They led us into a trap several months ago with beings called the selmyr.”
    “What are they?”
    “They are ancient creatures that were accidentally released and who fed off of magic—namely Druids.”
    Rennie sat back, her eyes wide. “Where are they now?”
    “Gone. But during the battle they were attacking us. I forfeited my life so Aisley could have hers.”
    Rennie raised a dark brow. “Your life doesn’t look so forfeited now,” she said with a grin.
    “I should’ve died that day. I wanted to die.”

Chapter Four
    Rennie swallowed hard. The sincerity shining in Dale’s eyes told her he had wanted to die that day. “But you didn’t.”
    “Nay. I should have. All the bite marks left me too weak to do anything. I lost consciousness, fully expecting to die, but I didna.”
    “There’s nothing wrong with that.”
    “I did terrible things for Jason. I killed for him.”
    She slowly leaned back in her chair. “Did you willingly kill? Did you enjoy it?”
    “Nay.”
    “You did what you had to do in order to survive.”
    He grunted and poured more wine into his glass. “That’s ballocks. There will come a time I’ll have to pay for all I’ve done.”
    “I don’t think you’re evil, Dale. I think you got dealt a bad situation and managed to get through it. During that time you tried to protect Aisley, willingly sacrificing yourself for her. If you were a bad person, would you seek out an isle to hide on? No. You’d be out there finding another drough to work with.”
    When he didn’t answer, she grabbed both bowls and stood. Her mother had told her Warriors had been created to fight for Briton, but then the gods had taken over. Yet her aunt had cautioned her that it was never wise to deem everything good or evil, because it could come back to bite you.
    They were words Rennie had lived by, and it was what kept her from throwing Dale out of her house as soon as he’d told her what he was. Now she was glad she hadn’t, because she was coming to see the man he was.
    It took her little time to clean the kitchen, and when she turned around, Dale was standing next to the fridge, leaning against it as he observed her with hooded eyes.
    Many years had passed since she had seen desire, but she recognized it in his eyes now. And it sent her heart pounding and her blood heating.
    “What’s your magic, Druid?” he asked softly.
    She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I don’t have anything really.”
    “A Druid with no special magic. That only occurs when the magic is weak, and yours, lass, is anything but.”
    Though she knew she shouldn’t, she found herself asking, “What does my magic feel like?”
    “Incandescent bliss. Irresistibly piercing. Enticingly brilliant.” He straightened, his dark eyes holding hers. “Seductively compelling.”
    No one had ever spoken to her that way, and it left Rennie reeling. She was adrift in a sea of need and desire she couldn’t navigate. And the only thing she could hold onto was … Dale.
    “Even that doesna truly describe what the feel of your magic does to me. I can no’ get enough of it—or you.”
    His voice had gone low, the timbre making chills race over her skin it was so erotic, but it was nothing compared to the fire in his eyes.
    She knew he was waiting on her. He told her of his desire, now he was leaving it up to her to decide what she wanted. Rennie wanted him, but would the past repeat itself? Dale didn’t seem to care about the visions.
    The one he’d seen had kept him at her house, but she didn’t think that’s why he remained now. At least she prayed that wasn’t the